Karen Patricia's music mania

Giving it a Fauré chance...

2011-09-05T12:12:00.000-07:00

..not that I normally need to be persuaded to buy a CD with Philippe Jaroussky's name on the cover. However certain choral works and especially requiems have always had an emotionally negative effect on me. My first memory of Fauré's requiem was sitting through a performance at the local church, not understanding much of the music but feeling overcome with sadness and focusing on the knitted sweater of the woman in front of me to keep me from crying. When I heard another church performance of it in my teens, it was to hear a friend of the family sing in the choir and as my musical tastes were stuck in the top 20 charts at the time, I probably couldn't have cared less about the music - or I remembered all too well how I'd felt the last time I'd heard it, and wanted to distance myself.

So I was a little skeptical about this one, despite the fact that I knew Philippe Jaroussky was involved in the project. Curiously, EMI/Virgin classics seems to market it as Philippe Jaroussky's solo album even though he only lends his vocals to a single track, namely the famous Pie Jesu. As I didn't remember anything of the piece as a whole since I heard it 10-12 years ago, I must admit I had expected a few more solo parts or even a duet (Matthias Goerne is the other soloist) - instead my inexperience with listening to choir works made me long for something to stand out from that blurry mass of blending voices (which is also probably the reason why I prefer concertos to symphonies). Then again, my inexperience (or as it were, bad experience) with the piece could also be the reason, as the additional pieces on the album (Cantique de Jean Racine, Elégie for cello and orchestra, Pavane for orchestra and mixed choir, and Super flumina Babylonis) left me feeling a lot more positive about my recent purchase.

As for the Pie Jesu, which is, I suppose the hit single of the piece (EMI/Virgin even released it as a digital single), Philippe Jaroussky makes a great effort. In the EPK video he explains that it's difficult to sing mainly because it's very high and you can really tell from the recording that it reaches up towards the limit of Philippe's higher register. I suppose we all have different tastes when it comes to tone in a voice and personally I've always been more partial to Philippe's lower register, as when he did Vivaldi's Stabat Mater - I felt the highest notes of Pie Jesu seemed kind of laboured compared to the rest, whereas the last note which seems to be suspended in mid air is nothing short of perfection.

Conductor Paavo Järvi mentions in the EPK that this is the first time a countertenor has recorded Pie Jesu as part of Fauré's Requiem, so in this sense it's a kind of controversial recording. There are probably those who think it's a bad decision, almost like a sacrilege, and I can see their side too (as I get upset when contraltos are cast as Giulio Cesare or Nerone). However, keeping in mind Philippe's statement that his voice sounds like more like a child than a woman and that he uses his voice as means of holding on to a childlike side of himself, the so-called controversial decision makes sense. The vocal quality of a countertenor and that of a boy treble are very different, but both convey a sense of purity and innocence. To compare and decide for yourself, I'll leave you with Philippe Jaroussky's recent version along with Aled Jones' version from the mid 80's.

The first cut is the deepest...

2011-06-19T01:57:00.000-07:00

Christine Schäfer in the title role as Theodora.

That’s what came to my mind after I watched the DVD release of the Salzburg Festival’s staged production of Theodora. It’s my favourite Händel piece, and I saw and heard it for the first time on youtube of all places, in the form of a magnificent Glyndebourne production from the mid 90’s. The story, the staging, the singers, the acting, everything seemed to have an emotional impact on me. So when I heard of the new DVD I knew I just had to have it, if only to quench my curiosity. And it is indeed difficult to not compare the two.

In terms of overall singing I still might favour the earlier version – however Bejun Mehta makes a very convincing Didymus and can certainly fill the shoes of David Daniels (amusingly, Bejun Mehta credits Daniels for indirectly kick-starting his adult singing career), and Bernarda Fink sings the role of Irene with a kind of maternal stage authority. I find Christine Schäfer in the title role sometimes sings more dramatically staccato than is required – somehow the Italian Bel Canto passion seems out of place in this oratorio – and a rather thick accent sadly doesn’t help the flowing of lines along.
As for Didymus’ friend Septimius, Joseph Kaiser does a pretty good job. The fast coloratura sometimes gets the better of him, but his tone is pleasant, powerful but still restrained, and his acting is superb.

My initial disappointment for omitting Irene’s aria ”Bane of virtue” was replaced by the breathtaking rendition of Didymus’ aria ”Deeds of kindness”, which had been just another ”good aria” in the previous version, but here it really stands out. Bejun Mehta can sometimes overdo things a little with his powerful vibrato and creative ornamentation, but in this he held back and the piano parts were deliciously soft and subtle.

No other big arias were excluded as far as I can remember (although a few small ones were turned into recits) but they did however add an organ concerto in the middle of act 3. I was a little confused at the idea at first but it did add another nuance to the acting as, during the four movements of the concerto, the psychological tension between the characters was highlighted and a shift in psychological power from Valens to Theodora was even implied.

The end of the third act, where Theodora and Didymus are given their death sentences and even executed in the Glyndebourne production, has always been among my favourite moments. This version seemed to play more on the couple’s strength and their contentment with their fate, underlining a victorious ending to the oratorio instead of a merely tragic one. The final duet is powerful and beautiful, but in this production, even more so the last chorus, where the camera focuses on the crying Septimius, who previously torn between loyalty towards the separate parties, now realises what he allowed to happen.

I watched this last night and already I want to watch it again. And because I’ve already spent a good hour trying to find the right words to describe my listening and watching experience, I’ll let you watch the final duet ”Streams of pleasure ever flowing” and make your own judgements.

These are a few of my favourite things...

2011-05-27T03:29:00.000-07:00

...well, in this case, favourite songs.

Ever since I was little I've had a special feeling about my favourite songs. I would play them over and over and it seemed like they were some kind of magic shield against whatever negativity going on in my life. I still feel the same way about some songs.
Here are some of my new and older favourites:

Corsican vocal group Barbara Furtuna also does a lot of religious/sacral music and it was difficult to pick one favourite track, however the melancholy and passion in this one is beyond description.

The first time I heard this I had to play it over and over. It seemed like a little vulnerable bubble of perfection.

An old favourite. Odd Nordstoga made his big break with the album Luring which this track is taken from, there's a lot of up-tempo fun tracks on it but I always liked the quiet ballads better. This song still has the magic..although it's even better in acoustic live versions.

Genius.

And now for a couple of classical favourites (again):

An aria that I first heard when I started to get interested in classical music and I've heard numerous renditions and recordings since. This one is at the very top of my list. Note: the aria itself starts a couple of minutes into the clip.

I've heard several versions of this as well, but this is by far my favourite - Of course I'm a little biased as a Philippe Jaroussky fan, but I also love the "real" quality to the recording. I love to turn up the volume during the intro to hear creaking of chairs or floorboards, rustling of papers in the score and other subtle background sounds. But when the vocal starts to soar it's like a piece of divinity.

Maintaining the balance

2010-10-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

An album of sacred arias released just in time for early Christmas shopping, recorded by a top notch tenor who also got his fair share in the looks department, initially sounds like a recipe for commercially calculated schmaltz. However, a lot of albums that fit this description have a kind of standard tracklist with no big surprises, while Juan Diego Florez' Santo includes Rossini and Bellini, crowned by a self-penned composition (which is the title track).

That's not to say it makes the music less available to a listener who may not listen to opera on a regular basis - "The" Ave Marias (Schubert & Bach/Gonoud), Panis Angelicus, Adeste Fideles and O Holy Night make sure of that. But the balance is kept - keeping in mind that it is a sacred arias CD and not strictly a Christmas album - by including a variety of other works that range from the well-known (Messiah) to the relatively obscure and more folk-inspired (Missa Criolla). The latter comes across as touchingly sincere, and lends the whole recording a charming feel that doesn't tend towards the too folksy or too schmaltzy side. It also works in the CD's favour that the Rossini tracks have great similarities with the same composer's opera arias - sprayed with intricate coloratura, high-spirited and enthusiastic - and so do not seem sentimental either.

One could argue that the contemplative side isn't well enough represented since the Ave Marias would be the best examples and they have lost a lot of their original value due to overexposure, but I think Kyrie from Missa Criolla and Santo have a contemplative quality in their earnestness and quiet charm.

Sorry, but...

2010-09-08T22:37:00.000-07:00

...I just downloaded Josh Groban's new single - the first new track from him in years - and I think it will end up "hidden away" and forgotten in my music folder.

It's a strange feeling for me to review this because I jumped off the Groban train a while back, and had I still been on it I'd have been over the moon and through the roof at the mere thought of a new (finally!) song. For once I'm able to see it all from the outside, which can be a good thing and a bad thing.

Good because I know my fangirl approach isn't clouding my judgment, bad because a lot of people will probably not like the following.

I did know that Josh proclaimed that he'd never been more proud of any of his albums than the upcoming "Illuminations" (due out in November), that it is supposedly a more toned down album, not overproduced and glossy, but with a more intimate setting. From the single "Hidden away", however, none of that is evident.

More than anything it comes across as a confusing few minutes of musical chaos. It starts promising, with just piano and vocals, but then builds up with an orchestral arrangement that by now must be his trademark, although in this song it sounds more cheesy and misplaced. The effects and instrumental layers pile up gradually (I swear I heard a banjo paired with the orchestra at the end) and as a result it becomes perhaps Groban's most evident musical identity crisis yet.

Which also has a lot to do with the vocals, that are based on his semi-classical-musical-theatre voice, but this time it sounds like he's really trying to sound like a singer-songwriter with no operatic style - like he's grown tired of his voice and wants to have a new one. To my ears it just sounds desperate, as if he's denying his god-given gift (which he at least initially had) to fit into a more conventional singer songwriter box. Nowhere is it more evident that in his little "yooohooo"s at the end in a not particularly strong falsetto. It makes you want to ask "who are you really?"

Knowing his background - he has actually worked with several vocal coaches and is said to have had a repertoire of several arias already in his teens - it makes you wonder what National Opera would have hired him today had it not been for his other career choice. If he'd suddenly appear in Cosi fan tutte I'd hop back on the Groban train any minute.

Sex & Violence...

2010-06-05T05:21:00.000-07:00

..and opera? (photo: Erik Berg)

Yesterday I had a chance to watch the last ever performance of Den Norske Opera's modern production of L'incoronazione di Poppea. It's only the 2nd opera I've been fortunate enough to see live, but by far the best - although the element of shock value was perhaps taken a little too far (in my innocent and prim opinion....)

The staging was spare, with only a concave shape covering most of the stage, which reminded me a bit of the Salzburg festival production of La Traviata (with Netrebko & Villazon) - but it made a nice aesthetic effect along with the splashes of blood in the 2nd and 3rd act. This was part of the reason why the tickets and ads warned about graphic content; the other being the frequent and direct sexual references. I thought that sometimes a hint or subtle reference would be enough; at one point I thought they were past acting and that they would actually do it on the stage, which was a little unsettling. It did cause some mumbling and giggling in the audience, especially as the situation was "saved" by a comic twist.

Now for the singers, or voices I should say, which as you probably know by now interest me just as much as the staging. For once both of Poppea's suitors were played by men - Nerone was portrayed by Jacek Laszczkowski and Ottone by Tim Mead. I have to say that the latter impressed me more, but then again I may have favoured him from the beginning - I was more unsure of Jacek because I thought his voice sounded rather breathy and I couldn't make out a word of the recits. It should be said however that on the really high, powerful notes, his projection was like that of a female soprano, quite unbelievable. Tim Mead performed evenly well, and personally I think his opening monologue "E pur io torno qui" with its effortless ornamentation was sublime.

Of the rest of the cast, which was overall good, I found that Marita Sølberg as Drusilla had one of the strongest voices. Birgitte Christensen in the title role was also worth mentioning.

This was the very last performance of this production, and in that occasion it was filmed for television, hopefully to be broadcast internationally. I was relieved to not only see the possibility of reliving this great performance on TV (or DVD?), but also at the thought of opera lovers all over the world being able to see it.

My latest purchases

2010-04-06T04:06:00.000-07:00

I've already played and enjoyed these CDs for a few weeks, but decided this is the time to post my little (probably not too objective but enthusiastic as usual) reviews.

Michael Maniaci - Mozart Arias for male soprano

No, it's not a typo and the man on the cover is not the conductor. Because the term "male soprano" tends to cause a lot of discussion, disbelief, controversy etc every review or article usually devotes several paragraphs to explain the meaning of the term and how extraordinary it is to be a soprano when you are in fact male. However the story has been written over and over again and has been posted numerous places online, so I prefer to make it simple and let him explain it himself (also included in this clip is extracts from Exultate Jubilate, which is featured on the album):

The music selection on the album consists of the Exultate Jubilate motet, and arias from Idomeneo, Lucio Silla and La clemenza di Tito. When I first started listening to classical music Mozart was the first composer I developed an interest in so it's hard for me to be objective in that respect. Now for the voice: If you read Michael's biography before hearing him sing it's easy to get ideas into your head about what it would sound like. Shrill? Unnatural? Strange? Maybe it's just me because I heard him sing a long time before I knew who he was, but the first thing that struck me was how resonant and powerful his voice is. It doesn't sound the least shrill and even at the top of his register it doesn't sound forced or unnatural. The second thing is, even when keeping his biography in mind, his voice doesn't sound very feminine. (A lot of people not used to countertenors and sopranists would probably say the opposite, however in my opinion a high voice isn't feminine just because it's high) Other versions of Exultate Jubilate I'd listened to recently, by Caroline Sampson and Danielle De Niese respectively, sound distinctively different.
I think this is a gem of a debut album, but it's difficult for me to "erase" all my impressions of other high male voices and listen to it with the ears of someone who's only been listening to tenors and baritones. I suppose if I were in the latter group I would find it hard to get past the phenomenon or shock value of it, which is probably the only downside to the album.

L'Arpeggiata, Philippe Jaroussky, Nuria Rial & Barbara Furtuna - Via Crucis

I've long been a fan of L'Arpeggiata's work with Philippe Jaroussky (despite my rash comments about the Teatro d'amore album elsewhere in this blog... I admit I needed some time to get used to their style and arrangements) so I knew this album would be a favourite. Which it is but oddly not in the way I expected - which is partly due to having seen video of Philippe's concert with L'Arpeggiata from Ambronnay a few years ago. It sounds like a strange reason, but I'll explain: I have been listening to the energetic, vibrant performances from that concert for so long that a studio recording of the same songs, taken out of the playful live concert setting, seems somewhat dull in comparison. The best example of that is Ciaccona di Paradiso e dell'Inferno, which in concert was performed as a duel between Philippe (Paradiso) and two ensemble members (Inferno) and the song took the form of a complete little drama with a lot of humour (as shown about 11 minutes into the video further down). In the recording the parts of Inferno is performed by one voice only, namely Fulvio Bettini, the tempo is slower and virtually all humour has disappeared. But I would probably still be in love with the track had I not heard the live version beforehand, which is a pity. The same goes, in part, for the other tracks on the album that I've heard live versions of; Ninna nanna and Queste pungente spine. Some of the songs that were performed live by Philippe at the mentioned concert are recorded with Nuria Rial on the cd, which makes a nice change. I was also surprised to discover that I really loved Barbara Furtuna's contributions of Corsican folk music to the collection, and also that I became a growing fan of L'Arpeggiata's style in general.

The version I have is the CD only version, however there is also a limited edition version which includes a DVD and a book, in occasion of L'Arpeggiata's 10th anniversary. The DVD features clips from the recording session of the CD as well as other performances from various concerts and recording sessions. A selection of both can be found in this video:

Some non-classical recommendations

2010-03-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

Recently my blog has been more or less taken over by posts about classical singers and releases... but I still listen to a LOT of other music as well. Here are some albums I've been listening to recently:

Susanne Sundfør - The Brothel

I admit that I only knew her by name until the first single off the album was released and I couldn't really tell her apart from other female Norwegian singer songwriters. I'm always curious about new music and tend to read the reviews every week to see if I find something interesting, and when the single was released the journalists seemed to run out of superlatives in describing it. I bought the single from iTunes and at the time I thought it was interesting but made me a little impatient because of the length and slow tempo, and I didn't listen to it for a week or so. I really wasn't impressed until I'd bought the rest of the album and took some time to listen through it, and by then I felt almost sentimental at being able to listen to such a rare masterpiece. It's an example of singer-songwriting at its finest, and at this point I simply can't believe why I didn't fall for this haunting melody the first time I heard it.

Aleksander With - Still Awake

This is almost embarrassing to include in my recommendation list if you just go by the name - except for Kurt Nilsen I don't think I've recommended any Norwegian Idol alumni
without changing my mind after a week or two. Like any other Idol alumni he's received mixed reviews, a lot of them stating the cd is just OK, filled with cliches - maybe a little nondescript. My liking this album is possibly subjective because I just simply like these serious, dark pop songs, but does it matter? OK, so his voice is perhaps a little too polished at times, but bearing in mind his first album (which to me was lacking in substance) this is a departure for him and even though it can be embarrassing to admit it, I do like this CD.

Salem Al Fakir - Ignore this

The most famous song from this album, without a doubt, is the song Keep on Walking which made it to the national final of Eurovision song contest in Sweden (but sadly didn't make it to the international final) - but by no means representative for the album as a whole. While Keep on walking is a positive, radio friendly, charming song, the album is filled with mostly electronica-flavoured singer-songwriter tracks with refreshing variation - there's no telling what he'll do next. There's a huge difference between the quiet ballad Brooklyn Sun and the darker (almost perverted in its description of torture) This Is For. In addition there are several short instrumental tracks scattered in between. The variety itself is so refreshing and fascinating it's worth a listen.

Apology

2010-01-10T02:54:00.001-08:00

I've had some time to "cool down" now and realize that my latest post may have been a bit too harsh. I haven't stopped listening to David's beautiful singing and have concluded that that's all that matters.

The musician or the music?

2009-12-21T08:19:00.000-08:00

The last few days I've been trying to get my head around something which to me was a piece of news, even though perhaps I should have known. I'm ashamed to admit I'm even concerned about it, but since my blog is my primary place to vent when it comes to music, I'll write about it anyway.

As shown in the first video of my last blog post, I've been listening to and watching a lot of Theodora lately, a Glyndebourne production I was drawn to first and foremost by the fact that David Daniels played the male leading role. I have several of his recordings and I've always been amazed at his tone and effortless style, and Theodora only enhanced my positive opinion of him.
Out of curiosity I then started doing some "research" to see what he was up to currently, since the Theodora production was from the mid 90's when he was still a very fresh countertenor on the music scene. What I did find out however was a little more than I wanted to know.

I have no problems with David Daniels, or anyone else for that matter, being gay. What surprised me however was how persistent he was in "flaunting" it and making sure it was mentioned in every article written about him. His reason for this was that it was important to him because being gay was a "very big" part of who he was. Another article mentions an unattractive, straight personal trainer he hired, followed by the "explanatory" quote "I'm not an idiot", alongside a photo of him posing shirtless under a waterfall or shower with his head thrown back. In the same article the interviewer, who was also gay, said he'd had requests to ask for a lock of David's chest hair, upon which David replied "It's not like I'd miss it or anything."

It made me sad to read pieces like this where the focus was so much more on sexuality than the music, and discovering that it was not just the journalist's fault, but often his own intention that the gay part was talked about. I don't care who he's with because it's none of my business, I just find myself getting annoyed when I hear people talking about their sexuality as something that defines their whole personality, their life, and I'd be even more annoyed to see it take over a man's career.
The fact that I knew nothing of this until I actively started looking for info may prove that Mr Daniels has done a good job of keeping his private and personal life separated, but the comment about him making sure his sexuality was mentioned in every article because he was so out and proud threw me off a little.

My thoughts started to wander to Max Emanuel Cencic, who is also openly gay, married - and whose sexuality has been evident for a long time without him having to talk about it. I googled him just as I did with David and out of all the entries I found there were NONE that focused on anything other than the music; his accomplishments, reviews, bios. Nothing that mentioned anything about his private life whatsoever.

The point I'm trying to make is that I'd be very sad to see a career be affected by a man's sexuality - there's no evidence as of yet that it will happen in Daniels' case, but if him being gay really is such a big percentage of his personality, how big is the musical percentage? And while I'm talking about big things I should perhaps also mention his ego (Just don't think I was going to refer to something else). He seems to be under the impression that he single-handedly was responsible for the general accept and renaissance of the countertenor voice. ("Frankly, I did that".)

I'm now a little torn between liking or disliking him. When one appreciates a talent, should one ignore the personality behind it and view them as two separate things or consider them together as an entity?

That having been said, let me clarify two things.

1) Once again, I have no trouble with people being gay as such. I'm not homophobic and don't intend to come across that way.

2) There is no question that David Daniels possesses a remarkable voice and I'm not trying to imply that he's not a gifted performer.

Now the only thing left is to wait and see if any tomatoes come flying in my direction...

A voice to fall in love in

2009-12-19T13:50:00.000-08:00

That's right, to fall in love IN, not fall in love TO...
I confess I've always been strangely attracted to voices. It started out as a childish thing I could look back on and smile to myself, but it persisted and even today I have these "voice crushes".

You can laugh now.

But it is true and in this context I'm a proud polygamist. Sometimes I can listen almost exclusively to one singer and sometimes I listen to a lot of people, rediscovering their voices in the process. Having said that, let me present my current "voice crush": Richard Croft.

The funny thing is that I had actually heard and seen him several times in various videos (again, I think youtube is one of the world's best inventions) before I saw him in Theodora in a Glyndebourne production from the mid 90's and wondered why on earth I hadn't been so impressed with him before. One theory is perhaps that that particular Händel piece hypnotized me in general and I loved the arias he did as Septimius, not just his performance but the compositions as a whole..and the combination turned out to be just perfect.

However, when I started to revisit the videos where I had seen him previously (not knowing who he was at the time) I was no less impressed. Like his opening aria in the great (and first ever fully staged) version of the Messiah:

(aria doesn't start until a few minutes into the video, there's the overture and a recitativo first)

In addition to that I started looking up more youtube videos and his recordings on iTunes, and I'm still just as enthusiastic. Of course I'm in no position to be 100% objective or give my opinions on technique etc, but I will say that to my ears, his voice has that certain inexplicable something that can soothe and give strength at the same time and just strikes a chord within you. And that is a very valuable quality.

The times they are a-changing

2009-10-07T01:23:00.000-07:00

During the last six months I've come to realise that I am in fact getting older.....
I browsed through some of the older posts in this blog and wondered why I'd recommended them because I don't have any interest in their music any longer.

"They" include mostly the whole classical-crossover genre. It started out with a handful of singers and now the term seems to apply to a) any singer with a vibrato voice, b) any pop song with sufficient orchestral sound, c) any aria rearranged as a pop song or d) any pop song rewritten and rearranged as an operatic number. And probably a lot of other categories.

My point is, it takes so little for a pop singer to be considered classical crossover (and vice versa). One Ave Maria and suddenly it's considered classical. Which is another thing that confuses me - as of late it seems they don't bother mentioning the crossover bit - maybe it's too long, or maybe the people in charge actually want the general public to consider this music classical as in the real deal. Which I object strongly to.

It's not that I want the "real" classical music to be exclusively for one group of people, I just don't want the general public to be fooled into thinking that Il Divo is a synonym to opera. Maybe some think they can't listen to opera because it's "only for the posh people", and I feel it's important to emphasize that classical music is for everyone and you don't have to be a stuck-up snob to enjoy it.

I'm a little saddened by talented classical singers out there who are fully capable of recording opera arias but choose instead to go with the crossover flow and do Ave Marias and chestnuts because they think it's more money in it. Which might be true, I don't know, but I don't see why these people don't choose instead to be true to the art.

I don't mean to sound like a snob or like I'm condemning people who listen to this kind of music, but this post serves just as much as an opportunity to show people who I am today and what I like musically instead of hiding behind who I was 5-6 years ago.

catching up - some great singers and albums

2009-10-06T12:13:00.000-07:00

Sadly, when I'm busy I confess blogging is at the bottom of my priority list. Because of that, and the fact that the papers and analytic writing I have to do at Uni makes me cringe at the thought of writing anything regardless of setting or genre, I haven't blogged in a while. That's not to say I haven't been listening to music.

In fact I feel I need music now more than ever - it's what helps me relax when everything else is stressful. So here are some singers and albums I've been listening to recently - I'll be a geek and start off with the classical bit.

I have known of Ian Bostridge for quite some time but it wasn't until recently that I actually "discovered" his voice. I think perhaps what made me not want to listen to him a few years ago was his reportoire because I had heard he did mostly Lieder and I decided it was not for me. But as it turns out, even though Lieder is unarguably his specialty, he has performed a wide range of music - Mozart, Britten, Vaughan Williams, and Händel as seen in the first video. I have now begun to dig into his Lieder work too - his interpretation of Schubert's Ständchen, as heard at the very beginning of the second video, is simply gorgeous.
The interesting thing about Ian Bostridge is that he's no "ordinary classical singer" in the sense that he hasn't been educated at any prestigious music school or conservatory - he started on an academic career and has a PhD in history, and even published a book on witchcraft. He only started singing professionally in the late 90's. Because of his academic career a lot of reviewers have pointed out his ability to connect with and communicate the lyrics, and commented on his intellectual approach to singing.

Another singer who has maybe a little unusual background in terms of music is the Finnish tenor Topi Lehtipuu.

He does have a good and proper musical education, but the surprise to some (or many) is the many ways in which he's used his voice through the years. He has performed Finnish folk music, been the lead vocalist in a prog rock band for 7 years, and even dubbed cartoons - He sang the role of Derek in the animated film "The Swan Princess" in the 90's.
However I think he's undoubtedly at his best when singing classical. Like in the video from a performance of Cosi Fan Tutte at the Glyndebourne festival, shown above.
I rediscovered his voice while listening through Vivaldi's La Fida Ninfa and his character sang only minor parts except for a breathtaking aria of over 9 minutes:

I say "rediscovered" because then I realised I had bought a recording featuring him, Rolando Villazon (who was the reason of the purchase at the time) and Patrizia Ciofi, a long time ago without knowing who he was.

I didn't know who Laura Marling was either before I browsed the iTunes festival catalogue (I have left the classical world for now). I was intrigued by the song called "My manic and I" and the album proved to be no less interesting.

Since I started developing a serious interest in the singer/songwriter style I've become increasingly picky. (You'd think it would be more natural to be picky at the start of the process and then broaden the horizon, but not so in my case) So sometimes when I hear solo voice accompanied by guitar strumming or piano tinkering I get the "heard it before" feeling - but the combination of the lyrics, voice and production in this case makes it a lot more interesting.

Interesting would also describe Imogen Heap. I have to say that in a world where a female pop star should preferably be a size 0 doll-like woman with long blond hair and skimpy clothes (and in many cases, the lack of voice is just as apparent as lack of clothes), Imogen is really like a breath of fresh air. She's been around for a while now, but sticks to her own style both musically and in terms of appearance.
And not only does she write her own songs, she also produces and mixes them herself. In addition to solo work she's also devoted herself to successful collaboration projects, such as Frou Frou.
How's that for girl power?

I'm going to leave it at that for now - I could probably go on and on, but I'll "save" some for later. Later meaning a day or two, not three months...

Radu Marian and the mystery of the voice

2009-07-19T02:34:00.000-07:00

I have a challenge for you:

Watch this video and try not to fall off your chair when this man starts to sing.

As people may have noticed by now (I don't see how they couldn't....) I've recently had and still have a great interest in the countertenor voice. Now my horizons have been broadened to include the rare phenomenon of the "male soprano" - Men whose voices for various reasons can go even higher than a countertenor voice. However they don't use falsetto like countertenors do, and their register doesn't go as low as that of countertenors. Many of them (though it's only a handful of singers who go by the term male soprano in the first place) don't even have a male sounding speaking voice.

As is the case with Radu Marian. His speaking voice has been described as "a wisp of smoke", which the author of the same article attributes to the fact that Radu, at 17, had severe laryngitis because he strained his voice trying to sing in the tenor range, which of course was too deep for him. Consequently he didn't talk, or go to school, for a whole year. He did eventually regain his vocal abilities, but his voice never changed like that of his peers. He still couldn't sing just as high as he could when he was a child (he claims that back then he could sing a whole octave higher), but his voice still soars higher than one would think is possible for a grown man.

Which he naturally finds himself defending every day - there are plenty of people who refuse to believe what their ears and eyes tell them; there is no way that voice can come from a man. No wonder he taught himself to talk back. At school he had a female singing teacher who boldly asked him straight out if he was a woman or a man, to which he replied "If you were a little bit younger, I would show you".

One can't help but feel a little sorry for a man whose talent evokes cliche questions rather than just please the ear, and who probably has to deal with those questions for the rest of his life, but Marian himself doesn't seem to let it get to him. Apart from the obvious alterations that comes with the life as a touring performer, Marian leads a fairly normal life. He and his Russian wife have been married for 7 years, he's deeply religious and apart from a somewhat slight frame and short stature, he looks nothing like his mysterious miracle voice would indicate.

Nevertheless, it might take time before one grows accustomed to such a voice, so I leave you with a second video of Radu's amazing talent.

3 great live albums

2009-06-18T10:37:00.000-07:00

I don't feel I can call this a review since I attended two of the three concerts in question and am not able to be objective... so I'll just call them recommendations.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - CHESS IN CONCERT

I've been awaiting this release ever since I attended the performance(s) in Royal Albert Hall in May last year (as described in another blog post). Since expectations have been built up for over a year I was afraid of being disappointed, but in terms of musical quality this recording has fulfilled all of my expectations, high as they may be. My only negative remarks have to be made about the confusion around the release itself, which has been put off several times; the full CD/DVD edition is not released yet (my copy is a digital download included in the CD/DVD price because I pre-ordered through Josh Groban's fan club)
The other thing that annoyed me slightly, but probably only because I attended the performance on both nights, is that the recording is from the second night. I felt the atmosphere and also the vocal performance of some cast members were even better the first night. But all in all it's a breathtaking double CD. Now I'm impatient for the CD/DVD pack to arrive so I can watch and relive the performance in all its glory.

LIND/NILSEN/FUENTES/HOLM - HALLELUJAH LIVE VOL 2

It sounds like a worship album, but it's not. The quartet including one World Idol (Kurt Nilsen), one of Norway's most respected pop artists (Espen Lind), one Norwegian Idol second runner up (Alejandro Fuentes) and one newcomer singer-songwriter (Askil Holm) teamed up in 2006 and enjoyed great success with their concerts of cover songs mixed with songs from each artist's own career. They then released the CD and DVD "Hallelujah live" which became just as popular. The following year they decided to call it a day and went back to their solo careers, but they just couldn't keep apart - and this is the result. A lot of reviewers have given them a hard time and suggested they should have spared themselves the comeback, but judging by the atmosphere at the concert I attended (from which the album was recorded), people in general are more than happy to have them back. It was a magical night and this album too fulfills all of my expectations. One reviewer stated it was a nice souvenir to people who were at the concert (suggesting there was nothing more to it), but I think people who weren't there will also be able to enjoy the cd.

MICHAEL BUBLE MEETS MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

This CD (that also comes with a documentary DVD) has been criticized by Michael's own fans for the lack of tracks (10) and while I understand their frustration, the quality makes up for any lack of quantity. The little collection of songs includes tracks from his 3 previous studio albums, rearranged and with that great energy only Michael can give them. He really seems to let loose and it sounds closer to the Webster Hall concert (which was streamed on MSN) than to the previous live release Caught in the Act. For a second I was worried that the energy and jokes would take the focus away from the vocals entirely (while his stage presence and energy is great to witness, his voice should not get 2nd place); like on This Thing Called Love and I've Got The World On A String, but he really lets his voice shine, as it should, on Home and Lost, so all in all it makes a great balance.

My iPod..

2009-05-31T04:50:00.000-07:00

..is schizophrenic. It seems to mirror the musical taste of (at least) 10 different personalities.

Don't believe me?

I picked 10 random tracks from my iPod (with a little help from iTunes DJ) and the result is..well.. don't laugh.

The countertenor and his two voices

2009-03-25T12:16:00.000-07:00

It's no secret to the people around me that I have a "thing" for countertenors. I'm simply fascinated by the sound of a countertenor voice; a voice that doesn't really sound like a man, then again not like a woman and not like child either, just some undefined sound of beauty.

Maybe people in the industry or in the small community of countertenors roll their eyes at this common description of their singing, as a lot of them are keen to make people view them as "just normal singers" equal to tenors, baritones and basses, not some other-worldly creature or something, in a way, unnatural or strange.

If they should be offended by my description above - I apologize, it was not my intention to be inaccurate, mocking or anything like that. But I do see why they can grow tired of defending themselves. Look up a performance of any countertenor on youtube and you're guaranteed to find comments along the lines of "Is that a woman?" or "He has got to be gay". People even include castration and hormonal disorders in their theories. It seems many jump to the conclusion that when a man is able to sing like that, something has to be wrong - it can't be a "real" man.

But these opinions are not only expressed on youtube. Philippe Jaroussky mentioned in an interview once that during a church concert in France, a teenage girl in the audience had cracked up laughing the instant he started to sing. Andreas Scholl, also in an interview, joked about the "taboo" around the countertenor voice by introducing himself like in an AA meeting - "Hello, my name is Andreas and I'm a countertenor". As a mere fan of countertenors I've even experienced people's misconceptions first hand - as I was trying to explain the difference between a castrato and a countertenor to some friends over lunch, I was told to change the subject because "we're eating".

Which would have been understandable had I gone into the gruesome details of what the castrati had to go through in order to keep their golden voices intact, but even when I didn't it was apparently too much. Therefore I will simply say, just to make the difference clear, that whereas a castrato had one voice which was very high and very flexible, a countertenor has one singing voice - head voice - and one speaking voice, which sounds like the normal speaking voice of any man. (I'm emphasizing this because it seems people sometimes think countertenors also speak in a high voice.)

Adding to that the misconception that countertenors have to be gay, no wonder the countertenors feel the need to defend themselves - sometimes by giving their audience a glimpse of their "other voice" in performances or recordings, or by moving into other musical genres.

For his CD of folk songs, Andreas Scholl included several tracks in which he used both of his voices to tell the story in the song; a conversation between two people. In his case it was not only the rare sound of his deeper voice that came as a surprise, but also the ease with which he switched between the two voices, creating the illusion of actually hearing two different singers.

Philippe Jaroussky surprised his audience in London recently (as shown above) by switching between his two voices during a performance of Sombrero (which he recorded in his countertenor voice only for his latest album Opium), and he also showed a glimpse of the same during a concert with L'Arpeggiata a while back - a concert which was described as a kind of baroque jam session; arranging the songs in new ways and even including jazz improvisations - where he sang a line in his speaking voice and then clasped his hand in front of his mouth as if he had "forgotten" which voice to use.

As for moving into other genres, there haven't been that many attempts that I know of, thankfully one should say.. however I have heard of two: Gérard Lesne trying to crossover into pop music and Andreas Scholl who have actually recorded a pop album. (The latter comes as less of a surprise though when we know he did actually dabble with electronica music before he started taking singing seriously)
I don't necessarily think that's the right approach to make countertenor voices more accepted, but I admire their courage for trying.

I suppose what I'm trying to do is to emphasize the fact that countertenors are NOT castrated, NOT women, not necessarily gay, and perfectly healthy, normal men.

*

I have already mentioned Philippe Jaroussky, Andreas Scholl and Gérard Lesne, but if you have an interest in countertenors you should also look up Robin Blaze, David Daniels, Xavier Sabata and Max Emanuel Cencic.

The perfect year?

2009-02-22T11:47:00.000-08:00

clockwise from top: Rolando Villazón, Philippe Jaroussky, Josh Groban, Clay Aiken, Odd Nordstoga, Michael Bublé.

To me, that's what it looks like - at least musically. So many of my favourite artists have new albums coming out this year. According to amazon.fr, Philippe Jaroussky gets the honour of starting the party with his album of French songs, out in just a few days. In March, Rolando Villazon will release and album of Händel arias.

As far as the rest of the spring goes I don't have that much information (yet), but the anticipation of autumn makes up for it. Josh Groban has hinted his album will be out in late summer or early autumn, while Michael Bublé is also working on an album to be released around the same time. Odd Nordstoga is not resting on his laurels after his album success "Pilegrim" last year, and will have a new album out this autumn as well.

As for Clay Aiken's situation, nothing is certain yet. He did mention recording another album of cover songs, after his album of original songs - "On my way here" - failed to impress the critics. But recently it's been all over media sites and blogs that Clay has been dropped from his label RCA, so in terms of his music career his future doesn't look that bright. I hope however that he gets signed by another label and gets the chance to record whatever he wants, not just what people tell him to - and maybe even write more of his own songs.

If you know of any other good albums coming out this year, please let me know by commenting on this post!

What the...?

2009-01-16T05:42:00.000-08:00

That was my first thought when I listened to my latest purchase from iTunes music store yesterday; three tracks from the album "Teatro d'amore" - works by Monteverdi. I had seen a very impressive youtube video from it featuring Philippe Jaroussky, whose voice I just can't get enough of, so I was certain I'd get my money's worth. In the first piece I bought, "Si dolce", I was at first too blown away by his voice to pay much attention to the arranging, but after that I became aware that something - I couldn't pinpoint it - reminded me more of a modern ballad than a piece from the 16th century. I also listened to Pur Ti Miro with nothing but enjoyment before I eventually sat down with "Ohime, ch'io cado". I couldn't believe what I heard.

(In this video, Si Dolce is the first number followed by Ohime ch'io cado)

Modern percussions, jazz improvisations? And no, it's not just a live "spur of the moment" thing, the studio recording is the same. I can only guess what they tried to achieve by it. Modernize an old piece of music to make classical music more attractive to young people? Did they suddenly realize that since even "pure" classical artists join the classical crossover market now and are marketed almost as pop artists, they should just jump on the wave? Was it just for fun (if so, in my opinion, they should have kept it to that one live performance and not made it the concept of a whole album)?

I really don't know. At any rate they should have included it in the album text in some way (viewable to digital download costumers as well), to warn listeners that what they see is not what they get. I was so confused and upset listening to that last track that I felt tricked; like I was almost entitled to get my 99 cents back (Just almost).

I really don't know what else to say about this, I'm still very confused. If you have any comments or theories I'd be interested in hearing them!

A great musical experience

2008-11-14T11:59:00.000-08:00

..if not THE greatest so far in my life, happened several months ago and I realized I had not even mentioned it here. So I'm making up for it now.

About a year ago I heard the news that Josh Groban would play Anatoly in a one night only performance of Chess in Royal Albert Hall, London. I was nervous about going; I had never been to the UK before, the tickets were expensive and there was also the plane ticket and hotel room to think of. I wasn't sure about going but I realized it was an opportunity I'd never have again, so I decided to take it.

The following months I was beyond nervous. I had never traveled abroad "just" for a concert before and I was terrified of not getting my money's worth. What if I got sick and couldn't go? What if Josh got sick and couldn't perform? That horrifying thought even drove me to get tickets for the extra performance that had been announced because the original date was sold out. Thanks to some extremely kind fellow Josh fans I ended up getting one very cheap ticket and one ticket for free (since my mum had decided to accompany me on the trip I couldn't do with just one ticket). In hindsight I am very thankful I got to see the show that night, because that's when the said experience took place.

I got to the Royal Albert Hall not knowing where the others in the fan group were and had to call around to find them, and only got to say a few brief hello's and give a few hugs before we had to get inside the theater. I was warm, probably a bit dehydrated and dizzy with adrenaline, and just hoped I'd get through the first act without fainting or panicking.

I knew the story and the songs so I was secretly waiting for the end of the first act, the most famous one of all the songs, the song everyone had been waiting to hear Josh sing - Anthem. At that point I was fanning my face like mad and my tongue was sticking to the floor of my mouth, had I been somewhere else I would have described my situation as feeling unwell. And there it was, like I heard it for the first time but still able to recognize it; the oboe intro.

It was like a symbolic thing for me; this would be the moment that would ensure me I had made the right decision by going and spending the extra money on seeing the show that day as well, the song that would remind me of what I came for.

And I was not disappointed, to say the least. For those three minutes I was completely focused on the stage and the voice that filled the auditorium like a physical presence, the magnificent choir that took the song to it's famous crescendo - ending with the line "My land's only borders lie around my heart". And that line had not even been finished before the entire audience jumped up from their seats, cheering and applauding. Not just the Josh fans, as I had for some reason expected - there was not one person still in his seat. And during the last lines of that song and the seconds that followed, I knew I had witnessed something magical, that I'd probably never experience again.

The next night I had an even better seat, closer to and in front of the stage, but it still didn't surpass the experience of the first night. My mum who is not as enthusiastic about Josh as I am but still enjoys his voice, told me afterward that she'd felt the magic too, and that convinces me there really was something special about that evening, not just something conjured from my state of adrenaline overflow and water deprivation.

I may not be so lucky, but am still hoping, to have more moments like that in my life.

Clay Aiken - On My Way Here

2008-05-07T10:12:00.000-07:00

Much has been said about this album even before it came out. Some reviewers have accused Clay of choosing songs with cliché lyrics, others have suggested the new release won’t appeal to a younger audience, and a number of web sites find it amusing to focus on the "battle" between him and Josh Groban as their albums released on the same day.

Well, they’re both young and male, but the likeness ends there.

Musically the album, entitled On My Way Here, lies very far away from Josh Groban in the pop landscape – there are the lush ballads but also tracks with soul flavour or country feel to them. As stated by Clay himself; there’s something for everyone. I suppose the classic ballad is the type of song he’s been frequently associated with and is in a way expected to sing, which can work to his disadvantage, so it’s a smart move to do something a little different this time.

"Everything I don’t need" immediately comes to mind in that regard. The groovy rhythm and soul-inspired vocals, which Clay delivers with unexpected confidence, makes it an instant favourite. "Sacrificial love" also stands out, although it may seem like the ‘predictable’ type of ballad earlier mentioned. The sound is simple and stripped of unnecessary effects and allows Clay’s voice to carry the song on its own. On "As long as we’re here" he touches upon yet another genre, the country pop style associated with people like LeeAnn Rimes. It should be said that it still sounds very much like a pop song, and so it won’t scare away listeners who dislike the country genre. I think it has a great hit potential - the chorus refuses to leave my head after one listening.

These songs, plus of course the self-penned "Lover all alone" and the originally Christian song "The real me" are to me 5 good reasons to buy the album. However, there are some of the rest of the songs that seem to be missing the x-factor. They are good songs, and like the rest of the album cleverly produced, but give a kind of indefinable, nondescript impression after the first listen. It may be they just need more time to grow on you.

Overall, the album presents some of the Clay Aiken we already know and includes a lot of surprises from a Clay Aiken we have yet to know – and it will be a lot of fun to get to know that person in the future.

Josh Groban - Awake Live

2008-05-07T09:59:00.000-07:00

The Awake Live DVD displays a very energetic Josh Groban.

Having been to one of the shows of the Awake tour I thought I knew what to expect from the DVD/CD release, which was recorded in Salt Lake City - but it turned out to be anything but predictable.

In my opinion the visual presentation of the concert exceeds any of the previous live DVDs by Josh, or maybe that’s just what it seems like to my untrained eye because he seems to be at his peak in terms of live performance. The energy from him and his band seems to radiate from the screen, an effect that is added to by the crowd shots and the chaotic fan encounters as he makes his way though the audience in the middle of the concert.

As a long time fan it surprised me at first that the introduction to a lot of the songs, plus some banter and audience interaction, had been edited out, leaving as much as 5 or 6 songs in a row without any verbal interruption - which can be both a good thing and a bad thing. Of course it’s great to see that the music has first priority, but after a certain amount of songs I feel there is a need for a lengthy introduction or banter or something else to keep the viewer’s interest. But that criticism is more aimed at the editors of the final product rather than Josh himself, since I have no doubt the actual concert was filled with exactly those ingredients. On the other hand, the strict focus on the music might make the DVD more appealing to people who enjoyed Josh’s voice from the beginning, but don’t like or are put off by the fan aspect of it - the inside jokes, the gift-giving on stage, the screaming.

Well, the screaming the actually have to put up with, but it doesn’t come across as distracting or annoying, just an indicator of the energy level at the concert. An energy level which is through the roof throughout the entire 1hr45min show, including 3 encores.It is really a joy to watch Josh run around on stage and communicate that energy, especially compared to the first DVD based on his PBS special where his only movements were to sit down and get up again. Back then his voice was given the first priority, this time around the focus is on the music, the energy and the show as a whole, and it’s brilliantly done - and a lot more entertainging - but at the end it becomes obvious that while Josh is still full of energy, his voice is begging for a time-out, which in turn causes him to push and strain his voice more. It’s easier to miss when you’re at a concert in person because of the reverb, but it’s audible on the DVD. However, apart from that, Josh’s classical voice training shows in that it gives him the advantage of never missing a note or singing off key.

If you have seen Josh live in concert before, this DVD will be like an audiovisual scapbook of memories - If you haven’t, enjoy your first Josh Groban concert experience. It’s almost like the real thing.

Reflection: Music and art

2008-01-25T05:49:00.000-08:00

What is the parallel between Khatchaturian's cello concerto and Kadinsky's painting?

Lately I've grown increasingly interested in listening to contemporary and 20th century classical music. I've avoided this 'sub-genre' ever since I started listening to classical music, and I haven't really had the guts to give it a decent chance until recently.

My first experience with classical music - meaning the first time where I actually began to appreciate the music and not just accept it as a pleasant background sound - was through the film Amadeus. I was amazed by the story of Mozart's life and started tracking down recordings of his works; whether it be symphonies, sonatas, sacral works or opera. After a while my taste expanded to Bach and Händel and a lot of other composers, but with the mere exception of Tchaikovsky, I never listened to works by 19th or 20th century composers. Instead I developed an interest for "early music" and renaissance works, especially works for the countertenor voice.

In my mind, all of these works have one thing in common - logic. When I listen to it, it "makes sense". As the listener I can feel as though I am witnessing perfection; it couldn't be done any other way, it doesn't evoke any curiosity or raise any questions - historically perhaps, but not musically. (Not to say that the works are shallow and express no deeper meaning - particularly in religious works, such as Bach's aria "Erbarme Dich, Mein Gott" you can really feel the 'message' in the music.)

Then it dawned on me how much music I have yet to hear - what enormous amounts of music that might bring me hours of listening pleasure, if I only discovered it. But where should I start?

I ended up buying a cd containing a violin concerto and cello concerto by Adam Khachaturian - I must admit the choice was made based on my recognition of one of the performers; Daniel Müller Schott, who I had seen in concert a while back. I went home and put it in the cd player, completely open-minded, or so I thought.

By the sound of the first note I admit my first thought was "oh no!" After I'd forced myself to listen to the whole concerto, I was almost upset that someone had the nerve to call this - which to my mind sounded like a meaningless mess of melodies, rhythms and instruments - classical music. It had nothing of the qualities I expected from a classical work, even though I knew there were works like that out there, of course. I refused to believe that people would actually sit down and listen to this as a way of enjoying themselves.

My own reaction got me thinking.

I found in interesting that the reason for my disliking the piece, was that I didn't understand it. It made no sense whatsoever to me. When I closed my eyes, my mind didn't draw pictures from the music like it did when I listened to Bach or Mozart. I started to realize that perhaps I tend to exclude contemporary compositions because the images don't come to me by themselves; I can't sit there as a passive listener, I have to actively take part to make some reason out of the piece. Which can be a challenging and at times exhausting task. I applied my theory to the mentioned cello concerto and listened to it again, and by the end I felt mentally tired. The effect was positive though; I experienced the music in a completely different way, which again turned out to be a bigger source of creativity than when I'd listened to baroque music.

I also found it interesting to apply my theory to the way a lot of people experience modern, abstract art (not necessarily recent installations or performance/multimedia pieces, but also 20th century art). If they don't understand it, their minds tend to avoid it. They are upset by the fact that someone "can call themselves artists by applying a blob of red paint on a canvas; anyone can do that". When we look at a traditional still-life, our minds recognize the shapes as objects and are comforted by the logic, the perfection. When looking at a 20th century painting like perhaps a work by Kadinsky, with all its 'flying' objects and shapes, we don't understand it. We're used to logic, our eyes find no rest. But what if we really make up our minds to create our own story behind the motive, instead of being upset because the 'solution' isn't served to us on a golden platter, with no effort on our part?

It's perhaps a side effect of our modern society where everything is based on convenience - we can tend to avoid things that require us to go 'the long way around', even if it involves a positive outcome; a sort of reward.

Positive surprise: Aled Jones - Reason to Believe

2007-10-12T13:23:00.000-07:00

When I heard that Aled Jones new album was going to be "a departure", a more pop oriented cd I caught myself thinking it would be a disaster. I’ve heard several examples of artists deciding to experiment with genres they really should stay away from, needless to say the result isn’t pretty.

But this time I was pleasantly surprised. The tracklist had me a little worried because a lot of them have been recorded so many times before by so many artists, and may be getting a little worn out. Amazingly enough, Aled manages to make it seem like you’re hearing the song for the first time. When he sings "You just call out my name/and you know wherever I am/I’ll come running to see you again" in "You’ve got a friend", it sounds like a sincere decleration of friendship. No wonder he has been known to ‘sing with his heart first and his voice second’.

I would say his voice and heart are equally present in his singing, though. His vocals are silky smooth, and he shows that the brilliant technique from his choir boy days is still intact.

Which is partly why the album doesn’t rate to a full 100% in my opinion - sometimes the vocals seem almost too smooth and a little too stiff for what the genre requires. I do believe that his voice is more versatile than what you’d think at first glance - I noticed that he tends to let loose more during the 2nd verse and not reach his full pop potential until the song fades out and you just want to hear more. Maybe he has to take some time to get used to his "new style" first.

One thing that really stands out in comparison to the previous albums in his adult career, is how well produced it is. It’s his first album recorded with an actual band instead of synth effects and it really gives the album a different level of integrity. He’s not a 100% there yet, but overall this is a little star twinkling in the sky of his career.

Greatest voices of our time #5: Clay Aiken

2007-09-05T13:40:00.000-07:00

[photo: ocregister.com]
Some may wonder why I include someone as seemingly mainstream as Clay to my list - others may wonder why I didn’t add him to the list long ago. True, he has no formal vocal training and lives with the curse of having the title ’American Idol runner-up’ forever associated with his name, but his voice still has a quality to it that touches me.

I still think that Clay’s voice was too good to be on a show like American Idol, where the contestants are put into molds and come out as polished, non-descript ’pop stars’. The first time I heard him sing; I think it was O Holy Night, it was not at all what I’d expected – I didn’t expect someone who shot to fame on a show like that to possess such a big voice. It’s very strong and powerful – in the beginning I felt he turned the volume up a little too much but he seems to have ’calmed down’ a little through the years. A brilliant example of that is the song he wrote himself, ”Lover all alone”, especially on live performances. You are instantly drawn into that little world that is Clay Aiken and his voice.

The thing with Clay though is that, modest as he is, he doesn’t really seem to grasp what instrument he’s really got to work with – like his voice is too big for him to know what to do with it. That’s why, I think, some songs may turn out a little unfortunate. I do think he’d benefit from some vocal training to help that but more importantly I also think he needs the freedom to create more music of his own – so that we’ll hear more magical moments like ”Lover all alone” in the future.

If you want to hear and see Clay sing, his eager fan base has somehow managed to capture every syllable that has escaped his mouth and uploaded it to clackunlimited.com.

Greatest voices of our time #4: Robin Blaze

2007-09-05T10:18:00.000-07:00

I seem to have a thing for counter-tenors – the way their voices sound not quite like a man’s and not quite like a woman’s; something out of this world, they way their singing seems to be coming from a musical instrument rather than a human being. A good example of this is Robin Blaze.
I first heard his voice on the album ”Händel: Great Oratorio Duets” in which he duets with soprano Carolyn Sampson. I had to fight back tears.

His voice literally soars; sort of glides through each piece and making it sound amazingly effortless. Compared to Andreas Scholl, his voice seems less intense, if you will; a little lighter (I’m not that trained in music to know the terminology, I just have to trust my ears).

To hear for yourselves, you can go to Robin’s artist page at hyperion. It contains his biography and a large audio gallery with streaming tracks from all of his recordings. This video clip from youtube is also highly recommended.

..all about the music?

2007-07-26T03:14:00.000-07:00

Well intended fan interaction can turn into a security problem, as in Josh Groban's case. (photo: Rachel/NCGrobanFan)

It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Josh Groban; what you'd call a Grobanite. I've been a member of his official internet fan community since 2002 and official fan club member since 2004.
Grobanites have, since the beginning I guess, had a reputation of being 'crazy' in terms of how much they're willing to do for Josh and how far they're willing to travel to catch a glimpse of him - that,
and the fact that a lot of these people are women in their 40's and 50's seems to fascinate the media. There's a lot of inside jokes and made-up words; I don't blame people for thinking we're a crazy bunch.

But it's ALWAYS been about the music. Josh's voice was the one thing that caught our attention, that brought us together, the reason why we keep going to his concerts.

Or so I thought

Lately I've read stories that have shocked me so much I still can't grasp what was said; it's unbelieveable: People who are so persistent and stubborn with their gift-giving that they refuse to let Josh go on with the concert until he's unwrapped every little present and heard the story behind every little item. People who try to grab his private parts as he's sitting on the edge of the stage. People heavily influenced by alcohol licking his leg, trying to fondle his thighs.

The last two incidents shocked me the most, especially when it was revealed
that in the first case, the so-called fan in question had done it NOT because she couldn't control herself,
but purposely to "give him a scare". Is it suddenly ok to sexually assault the artist at a concert??

This goes for Grobanites and other equally intense fan communities - It's OK to have fun at a concert, but please RESPECT whoever's up there on stage.

For once, let it all be about the music.

Promising Preview - Michael Bublé: Everything

2007-03-20T08:38:00.000-07:00

When I heard that Michael Bublé's new single would be called "Everything" I immediately assumed it would be a smooth ballad - and knowing that he wrote it himself a love song to his fiancé Emily Blunt, I was even more convinced.

The single was released yesterday on iTunes, and after one listening I realize I was terribly wrong. This is a mid-tempo, happy, positive pop song; very untypically Michael, yet it won't cause him to fall into the mainstream pop category. It's the sort of song that makes you want to go out and embrace the spring. His vocals are brilliant as usual, and I think it's a smart move that he doesn't change the style of his singing to suit the pop style of the song. That's part of his unique sound. I also think - and hope - the song will help to increase his fanbase, as people will learn that he can pull off modern, original songs too and not just standards.

This is a great preview of what's to come when his album "Call Me Irresponsible" will be released May 1st.

What's the point?

2007-03-14T11:00:00.000-07:00

More and more people buy music by ordering CDs or buying MP3s online - and there are several brilliant and reliable web sites for that purpose. When I say reliable I mean in terms of payments safety and general integrity, but if you don't know exactly what album you're going to buy beforehand, things get tricky.

Say you like classical music, and browse the classical section of iTunes. Say you're particularly interested in Medieval music. And what do you find when you browse that sub-genre? R'n'B artist Mike Marshall. If you want to listen to the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, they can be found in the Comedy section. The one and only J.S. Bach is apparently classical crossover now, and so is, again according to iTunes, Tracy Chapman.

It seems the artists are devided into genres by mere coincidence or by some automatic system. When I browsed the genre World Music on Amazon.de I chose the sub-category Europe and under that, the sub-category Greece, and the first search result is Josh Groban's Live at the Greek. Most people know that even though Josh Groban has world music influences, he's not likely to belt out tunes in Greek, accompanied by bouzouki. But surely categories can't be put together just by looking at the title.

My euphoric dream is of course that these people would actually listen to the music before deciding what genre it shold be put in. Extremely time consuming, and of course almost impossible, but a girl can dream, can't she? It would certainly be my dream job. Mixing up the genres like these sites do makes it extremely inconvenient to look for new music. When you browse a genre it shouldn't be too much to ask to actually find music of that genre listed, not German 80's disco and low quality country music that seems to sneak in wherever you look.

How about just listing the artists alphabetically instead?

Greatest voices of our time #3: Brian Kennedy

2006-12-13T11:58:00.000-08:00

It's very likely that you've heard Brian Kennedy's unique voice without realizing it's actually him - he does the lead vocals on Secret Garden's original version of You Raise Me Up, as well as the follow-up hit Always There. If you still can't remember where you've seen the charming young man with the thick Northern Irish accent, he was actually representing Ireland in Eurovision Song Contest in May. Curious to find out more about him I searched the Internet and found out that he is indeed a multi-talent.

His biography is one big merit list: He's toured with Van Morrison and performed with Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Ray Charles, he's released several hugely successful albums, written two novels, presented shows both on TV and radio, and performed as a lead singer in Riverdance on Broadway. The list goes on. Still, I have to say that possessing a voice of Brian's calibre must be a merit in itself.

As to reportoire it seems he can tackle almost anything - everything from beautiful ballads and traditional Irish songs, to upbeat pop tracks and folk rock influenced material.

WHY LISTEN TO BRIAN?

Q Magazine wrote about him that he had"a voice to charm the angels" and it is a very fitting describtion. Part of what makes it so unique is that whatever song he's singing, there is a sort of kindness and warmth in his voice as if he's singing to a little child. His soaring falsetto/head voice is perhaps most characteristic for his sound.

RECOMMENDED TRACKS:

Turn To Me, Won't You Take Me Home, So What If It Rains, The Town I Loved So Well

A new trend

2006-11-19T07:08:00.000-08:00

I've long been fascinated with the growing trend of classical crossover artists - opera singers/operatic artists marketed as pop stars, all of them recording more or less the same songs. However the concept is beginning to grow old and I've started to notice another trend in the classical crossover field - choir boys (and in some cases girls) marketed as little angels, with a reportoire ranging from hymns to enya-like renditions of pop ballads. The result is squeaky clean, often very predictable, recorded with the reverb on 100% and dripping with candy floss sweetness.

My first encounter with this genre was through Aled Jones, because he recorded a lot of tracks in collaboration with a group of choir boys called Libera. I got their best of collection out of curiosity and I was fascinated by the genre itself. Because of the clearly exaggerated reverb effect, the songs seem like some kind of spiritual background sound for a church scene in a TV series. The focus is not so much on the voices in itself, as the spiritual meaning behind the sound as a whole - it's evidently supposed to sound like some distant, heavenly angel choir.

The "new age choir boy" genre also includes the trio that simply call themselves "The Choir Boys". The only remarkable difference between them and Libera is that they are fewer - the sound is pretty much the same. However it seems like imagewise, these young men are more marketed like pop teenagers instead of like angels.

And then we have Angelis - 3 boys and 3 girls, also giving the impression of being sqeaky clean pre-teen pop idols. The fascinating part is that they sound like the younger siblings of Amici Forever - it's just like the people who made a pre-teen copy of S Club 7 decided to make a pre-teen copy of Amici too.

Their sound and image seems like a desperate attempt to squeeze this genre even further - I am curious to see how far it will go before this trend too starts to fade due to lack of originality. There are only so many versions of Lloyd Webber's Pie Jesu one can take.

Josh Groban: Awake

2006-11-06T08:41:00.000-08:00

Finally! After three years I can sit down and write a (hopefully) objective review of Josh Groban's third studio album. It's been an amazing ride to follow this man's career since his first release and so much has changed since then, personally and musically.

When his debut album came out he was marketed as the classical crossover geek; he has later revealed that the producers wanted him to do just classical and operatic songs, much like Bocelli. The sophomore album Closer that came out in 2003 showed us a little more of Josh's growing independence as an artist. This time around, with Awake, his songwriting skills, musicianship, and growth as a singer unfolds like a flower before our eyes, or should I say ears.

In the past I've let out my frustrations and concern about Josh changing his style too much and leaving the musical genre that made me fall in love with his music in the first place. I've realised though that in my mind I've always looked upon him as a classical singer - maybe I shouldn't have. As I listened to this album for the very first time I tried to erase all previous ideas I had of him and instead just let the music speak to me, and that made it so much easier for me to write this review(I still can't figure out what genre to put him into though, then again, maybe he doesn't need one. ).

There is no doubt that even though the musical sound has changed, Josh still has his famous voice intact, and he's not afraid of using it. He shows it off on powerful tracks like L'ultima Notte, Un Dia Llegara and Un Giorno Per Noi, the latter actually a song from Romeo and Juliet. Had the whole album consisted of songs like these, the overall result would have been a little too much, but there are also quiet, simple gems like February Song, which Josh himself wrote, and Awake, the title track which is actually only available on the limited edition.

In addition to that, he also includes world music influences, jazz AND electronica. Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the choir that accompanied Paul Simon on his Graceland album from 1986, feature on two tracks, and Herbie Hancock joins Josh on Machine, an energetic explosion of a song.

It's overall a great album, although at first it seems like there's too many musical genres gathered in one place. Personally I don't mind, and since I've been a Grobanite for almost 5 years now I can see why he'd want to include a "what the hell was that?" song like Machine. He mentions "stepping out of his comfort zone" and maybe it was about time.

Odd Nordstoga - Heim te mor (full album)

2006-10-30T23:07:00.000-08:00

First of all, sorry about neglecting this blog for some time.. I'll do my best to keep up.

Now: Down to the business.
I bought Odd Nordstoga's album the day it was released, my expectations sky-high after great newspaper reviews and overall positive publicity. And he didn't let me down this time either.

The 11 tracks range from traditional American folk to Norwegian folk to pop ballads, all "branded" with Odd's unmistakable personal style. Whereas a lot of reviews tend to focus on his happy, carefree and upbeat songs, I feel the need to look at the singer/songwriter ballad gems that can be found on the album. Such as "Dagane" - written for his wife - where the theme is the genuine and enduring love, and vocally he showcases a soaring falsetto which I personally had never heard before. "Det som varer" and "Vandrevise" are also great ballads that deserve some attention on the album - The up-beat title track is of course undeniably catchy and so is "Femten songar på ei gong", but I think the slower songs display more of his songwriting skills.

As a whole, the album is well worth the money and - you are warned - highly addictive.

Greatest voices of our time #2: Josh Groban

2006-10-05T01:16:00.000-07:00

Josh Groban (photo: Alice Quade)

Of course I had to include him, even though I’ve mentioned him a lot already and everyone must know by now that I’m a huge fan - a grobanite. I realised though that I’ve never written any straight to the point- text recommending his music, only the juvenile, giddy "OMG you have to listen to this guy" sort of message on discussion boards.

Better late than never.

Josh has always been said to have a voice that doesn’t match his age, in the sense that people didn’t expect that big a voice to come from the mouth of a barely 6 feet tall, slender, baby faced self proclaimed geek. So it’s suprising when he reveals in interviews that he didn’t start singing seriously until he was 16 - which means that he'd only been singing for 4 years when he was discovered by the famous producer who was to become his mentor, David Foster. With the help from David and another handful of producers, engineers and songwriters, Josh released his self entitled debut album in November 2001. It was, as David Foster mentioned later in an interview with AOL, probably the album that first introduced the new classical crossover genre to the market; many artists has followed in that same direction since. In the 5 years that have passed since the debut, Josh has released 2 live DVDs and one studio album, plus another studio album that will be released worldwide on November 7. His fan club now has close to 20 000 members, he has his own charity foundation that his fans help raise money for by arranging online auctions, he is showered with gifts wherever he gives concerts - everything from intern joke items like toy llamas and pixie sticks, to "chick magnet" t-shirts and football sweaters. The whole grobanite thing may seem intimidating to outside people, so I’ll focus on what started the whole circus in the first place - his voice.

True, it has been critizised by vocal coaches and opera experts and one can analyse it and break it up into pieces and point out flaws, but as a whole, the unique sound in his voice and his ability to communicate emotions through his singing is impressive. He can sing songs in Italian or Spanish or any other language and though most people won’t understand the words, they still believe in the story he’s telling through his voice. Many people have even found that his voice has a healing effect, both psychologically speaking and as pain management therapy.

WHY LISTEN TO JOSH?
As I’ve mentioned in earlier posts, he can adapt his voice to fit into several genres, which of course shows his versatility as a vocalist - but to describe his voice in general I would say it’s smooth, has a rich tone and a nice, natural vibrato (which unfortunately becomes a little too rapid when he’s nervous, performing live). I must admit I find it hard to describe it with words since my ears have grown so accustomed to it.

RECOMMENDED TRACKS: The new single You are loved, Gira con me, Per te, Mi mancherai, To where you are

Greatest voices of our time #1: Andreas Scholl

2006-10-02T10:22:00.000-07:00

Andreas Scholl. (Photo: Martin Pichl)

I thought I’d create a kind of "greatest voices of our time" series in this blog: Those who know me are aware of my passion for discovering and listening to really great voices, whether it be in pop or classical music…. (or somewhere in between)

Who better to start with, than Andreas Scholl?

You may have heard his voice somewhere and thought it was a woman singing – he’s a countertenor, which means his voice is in the highest vocal pitch for men and pretty much equals a female alto voice in range. Andreas was born in Kiedrich im Rheingau in Germany in 1967, and to say he grew up in a musical family would be an understatement; both his parents are choir singers, his sister Elisabeth is a soprano, his brother Johannes is a doctor but has a singing career on the side, and his late sister Christine was said to be a talented contralto. He joined the local choir at age 7. His voice broke fairly early, at 13, but he kept on singing soprano or alto in the choir. It wasn’t until he was 17 that a vocal coach told him that he could actually have a countertenor voice.

Since he started pursuing his singing career in 1993 he has released a number of albums, played in a couple of operas, like Händels "Giulio Cesare", teached masterclasses at Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, written some material of his own (more in the pop genre, but also for ballet and theatre), and of course performed on stage numerous times in oratorio works and solo recitals.

WHY LISTEN TO ANDREAS?
His voice has a smooth, rich tone which immediately grabs your attention. It has only a light vibrato, as one can hear especially on the baroque arias, and he shows off complete control and impressive technique.

RECOMMENDED TRACKS:
Where’er you walk, I will give my love an apple, How sweet the moonlight, Va ’per le vene il sangue

Today's spur of the moment purchase

2006-09-27T11:47:00.000-07:00

This may seem hypocritical since I've already stated my opinion on Il Divo but today I bought a CD by the group with the catchy name "The ten tenors." I immediately thought of the Irish Tenors, whose choice of reportoire I can't stand, but from the cover photo they seemed a bit more mainstream than that. After a quick look at the tracklist, which included versions of several songs I quite like, I decided to risk it.

Fortunately, their sound isn't as heavy and quite as sentimental as that of Il Divo. It doesn't sound like a competition of who can sing the loudest - quite the contrary actually, as some "solo" parts of the songs are sung by two or three of them in unison. This, among other things, makes them sound more like a men's choir than a group (as the name states, there are after all ten of them.) Their individual voices aren't that grand and impressive, but they're all reasonably good pop/musical vocalists and not trying to be something that they're not. And they're not acting like they think they're God's gift to women.

It's true that some tracks are a little over the top, but it's more pleasing to the ear because it's the orchestra that turns up the volume, while the vocals aren't quite as loud. The songs are in general arranged more like pop songs/ballads than operatic songs. A suprising gem is their rendition of "Les Choristes", or "Vois Sur Ton Chemin" as it was called in the French Oscar nominated film - they've actually turned it into an up-tempo pop track and though the idea sounds intimidating, the result is refreshingly catchy.
Another surprisingly good cover is "Who wants to live forever", one of Sarah Brightman’s biggest hits. There’s not much of Sarah Brightman left in this version, and that pleased me.

Conclusion – today’s spur of the moment purchase was, fortunately, well worth the money.

Joshua Bell - Voice of the Violin

2006-09-12T12:52:00.000-07:00

I often find myself lost of words when trying to describe or evaluate classical music - as I don't play any instrument and just started listening to classical music a year ago I really have no knowledge to build the so-called review upon. I don't have a trained ear in that regard.

Which is why Voice of the Violin is the perfect album for people like me.

All the 15 tracks are vocal works transcribed for the violin; most of them very well known. The idea behind the recording is to let the violin "sing" where the lead soprano/tenor voice should have been. The result is surprisingly refreshing and elegant - it's of course lighter than many of the violin concertos he's recorded earlier, and has already been placed in the same category as his earlier "Romance of the Violin" recording, but it doesn't cross over the dangerously fine line that separates the romantic from the schmaltzy. (That having been said, the cover photo suggests otherwise. It looks like someone went overboard with the "diffuse glow" effect in Photoshop. That alone would be enough to scare the experienced classical audience off.)

The biggest surprise about listening to the album is discovering how close the sound of the violin actually IS to the human voice - and that you don't find it frustrating to hear the music without the words. In the liner notes, Joshua also reveals that he made an effort to think and even breathe like a singer during the recording - it is actually audible in most of the tracks and gives the music some kind of special intimacy and authenticity.

The only "disappointment" in the pieces he's chosen would have to be "Ave Maria" - I wish he would have picked a different version than Schubert's, which has been done so many times it's become a chestnut. "Song to the Moon" is my personal favourite and "Una Furtiva Lagrima" is also a gem. I suspect Joshua will "convert" yet another generation of fans with this release.

Don't give up!

2006-09-04T12:41:00.000-07:00

Because Josh Groban says You Are Loved. (photo: Warner)

The single was made available for streaming on the fanclub site today (and on AOL first listen) and I, along with thousands of fellow Grobanites, threw myself over the link and waited anxiously for the file to load. You've all read my worried ramblings about what Josh would or would not sound like on the forthcoming album; what direction he would take musically. I'm not worried any longer, if anything a little surprised, in a positive sense.

"You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)" is definitely not an operatic song, probably not even deserving of the crossover label. It's a sort of power ballad, where a lot of the power comes from Josh's golden larynx - he shows off his wide vocal range by reaching way down on the low notes and then, the minute after, soaring high with his beautiful falsetto. These 4 and half minutes of vocal brilliance are built up around moving, yet positive lyrics, about knowing you're worth something in this world and that someone will always be there to pick you up if you should fall. A topic that seems to be balancing on a fine line between cheesy mush and sincere sweetness, but with a voice like his, Josh can pull it off. The listener believes in him from the first note - "Don't give up/It's just the weight of the world/When your heart's heavy/I will lift it for you" - seemingly standard phrases, but expressed oh so convincingly.

If you were first drawn to Josh Groban's voice through the operatic tracks of his debut album and is half expecting him to start belting out arias on his upcoming release, I must disappoint you. Josh is not an opera singer, though he may want to move towards that genre later, and for the time being he seems comfortable expanding the meaning of the term pop music as we know it. The result, which we'll be able to hear November 7 (already available for pre-order at Amazon), may annoy classical purists and delight chart-pop listening teens, but one can at least not argue with the fact that Josh Groban has a God-given voice.

You can listen to the song here: http://music.aol.com/franchise/firstlisten

finally: new music from Odd Nordstoga

2006-09-01T10:02:00.000-07:00

It's true! The single "Heim te mor" is taken from his forthcoming album (the title hasn't been announced yet but the release date is October 18) and has much of the same ingredients as his smash hit "Kveldssong for deg og meg" from 2004: A feel-good beat, a catchy chorus that gets stuck in your head after two listenings, a bit odd (pun intended!) combination of instruments - accordeon, banjo, harmonica and guitar - and a guaranteed singalong potential.
Another thing the song (in my opinion) has in common with his last hit is also, however, the immediate feeling of "what the heck was that!?" after the first listening. When your ears are "trained" to listen to more melancholy or classically oriented music it takes a few minutes to adjust to hearing this kind of songs - After five hearings though I have to say that personally I have a little problem with the presence of the tuba in this latest recording; to me it gives a little too much German polka feeling to the song. That's why I love it so much when Odd breaks into sudden cries of "yee-haw!" - that brings it back to Texas again...

I won't have to tell you that Odd Nordstoga's musical sound is unique. You'd think that would make his music difficult for everyone to grasp, but it seems that almost all people, regardless of age and sex, embrace his happy little tunes and down to earth lyrics. He has sort of become a Norwegian national hero. If you think the description of his genre was a little vague, why don't you go and listen to the song yourself:
http://www.universalmusic.no/les_mer.asp?newsid=3604

Opera Babes - how desperate can you get?

2006-08-11T00:16:00.000-07:00

I bought their first album online, thinking that it'd be straight up my alley and a new addition to the classical crossover genre... I never listened to it much. Today I checked out their latest release "Renaissance" and I can't believe why I even bought the first one.

Just the name would be sufficient to make any classical music purist shake his head in disbelief. It seems like they've failed to see that young classical musicians and singers can achieve popularity within their own age groups BASED ON THEIR TALENT - and instead they find it necessary to flaunt their bodies and pose like dance pop stars. If I'd seen the cover photo without the titles I'd have thought it was Paola & Chiara's new album.

As the classical crossover genre exploded a few years ago, things like this were considered new, fresh, exciting, something that made classical music available for younger people and even teens who normally listened to mainstream chart music. The trend was started, I think, by Josh Groban, and then other singers with more classical reportoire followed - Hayley Westenra, Amici Forever, Katherine Jenkins. The concept in itself is not a bad idea and it did work - I'm an example of that - but it has to end somewhere. What we see now is perfectly able classical singers selling themselves short by desperately trying to reach a younger audience and putting on a sexy image.

Opera Babes is the perfect example of that. The beautiful Flower Duet from Lakmé in R'n'B remix? Lloyd Webber's famous Pie Jesu transformed into some scmaltzy New Age lullaby? Secret Garden's Nocturne arranged like something from a relaxation technique CD? The annoying aspect of it is not really that they're willing to go to such lengths to achieve popularity - that's merely hilarious - but the fact that they could actually do so much better. They have the voices, they can tackle arias, why don't they? New star sopranos like Anna Netrebko and Magdalena Kozena prove that you can be popular and hip and modern in classical music and still be true to the art.

ALB - Lupus Island

2006-08-03T10:01:00.000-07:00

A while back, traditional Norwegian folk music meant old men playing the accordion and old women singing in strange dialects. Not anymore. The traditional Norwegian music scene of today consists of promising young talents who want to take folk music to a new level - which is exactly what ALB has done.

ALB is short for Andreas Ljones Band - Andreas has already had great success with the group Majorstuen, who mix traditional Norwegian folk music with classical and give new life to old tunes. In making this album he seems to have thought "why not go even further?". The music is new and fresh and a wonderful, though unlikely combination of traditional folk, rock and electronica. Andreas himself plays the fiddle and various flutes, the rest of the band (Rune Tylden, Andreas Bratlie, Lasse Weeden) handle sampling, programming, synth, bass, drums and percussions. He seems to have taken a new direction imagewise too judging by his promo photos; from the clean-cut image of Majorstuen to something that looks like Rothbart in Swan Lake - Heavily styled hair, eyes smeared with eyeliner and locked in a mysterious, intense gaze.

I wish there was a more accurate way to describe ALB's unique sound but it's hard to explain. It has to be heard to be understood.

Links to buy the album can be found on ALB's web site: http://www.andreasljones.com/musikk.html

Another recommendation

2006-07-30T04:26:00.000-07:00

I can't have a music blog and recommend artists without mentioning CHEEZY KEYS. They're extremely talented, versatile and decent guys (which I can account for, having met them) Cheezy Keys are, from left to right: Anders Kjepperud (basso), Morten Bergheim (tenor), Kjærand Moe (baritone), Hans Petter Moen (tenor) and Kim A. Hagen (tenor/countertenor). They met during a production of Grease at Chat Noir, Oslo in 1999 and startet singing together in between rehearsals. Since then they've featured in other show productions, written and performed their own show, performed at numerous TV shows, guest starred in films, and contributed to the national Eurovision final three times - twice as contestants and once as responsible for the intermission entertainment.

It's hard to put Cheezy Keys into a specific genre. They bounce from showing off technical brilliance in acapella performances, to dancing wildly over the stage in drag - and often combining the two concepts of classically oriented singing and humour: In a show they did a sketch about supermarket clichees and the beeping from the tills suddenly transformed into the intro of Schubert's Ave Maria.

Maybe it's not so strange after all, because in a way they were all connected to the classical world before they met. Kjærand was an educated classical musician, Anders and Kim sang together in St Halvard boys choir when they were kids, Hans Petter has studied musical theatre in London and also studied ballet for a year or so. An earlier member of Cheezy Keys, Mads, is also into dancing and has been doing some choreographing after he left the group.

In the program for their latest show "Finn Fem Feil" they explain their unusual reportoire like this:
"[..] All we know is that music and humour make things look brighter, [...] and that's why we want to give you these two things tonight, to make you feel like the wonderful person you are. With or without faults."

I for one love the combination and hope they continue to write music and perform shows. Rumour has it that an album's on the way (another to add to the list of must have CDs) so let's cross our fingers :) Cheezy Keys' web site is in Norwegian only, www.cheezykeys.com . To see and hear them sing, check out these links:
Unchained Melody live - http://www.cheezykeys.com/video3.html
Bohemian Rhapsody live - http://www.cheezykeys.com/video4.html

Quiz!

2006-07-19T23:37:00.000-07:00

what is this? A) New adverts for Armani suits B) Westlife's new image C) "the 5 hottest men of the year" feature in women's mag

Answer: Neither! The correct answer is, believe it or not, opera singers. Except somewhere along the way, they were "discovered" by pop producers - they recorded some schmaltzy ballads and Italian versions of English pop songs, were sqeezed into expensive suits and marketed as a boyband and a pop hunk. The result - Il Divo (left) and Vittorio Grigolo.

Il Divo have always puzzled me in the sense that I can't believe that 4 men who can actually sing, more or less, have such a constructed image. And then recently I found out that the concept of Il Divo was invented by Simon Cowell, the man behind Pop Idol. They were put together just like Louis Walsh put together Take That and Boyzone - "you're the cute and shy one, you're the ladies' man, you're the dark, mysterious one etc". The biography on their web site describes it as "Il Divo finally came together in December 2003 after a worldwide search with rehearsals and recording sessions taking place immediately after." It goes on to claim how the four members all have different backgrounds, though all of them except the French Sebastien are TRAINED opera singers who have years of stage experience. Carlos has played lead roles in La Traviata, Madame Butterfly and La Boheme. David has toured with several opera companies in Europe and America. Urs has sung oratorios and performed regularly with the National Opera in Holland. (Sebastien is the only self-taught singer, according to his biography, and performing with Il Divo interrupted his work on a pop solo album). Reading about those impressive merits, I have to think "hello!! if these people can actually sing REAL arias from REAL operas, why don't they record a REAL classical album?" It seems to me to be a total waste of talent - just so that Simon Cowell and those people can make even more money.

The story of Vittorio Grigolo isn't much better. He too has an impressive merit list; even more impressive than Il Divo if you ask me, having played in the most famous operas and in addition performed requiems and oratorios and other famous classical vocal pieces. Don Giovanni, La Boheme, Lakmé, Faust, the list goes on and on. He too is put into a designer suit and, in promo shots and EPK videos he is seen strolling the streets of Rome to the sound of romantic string arrangements. In a way his case is more ridiculous than the others because he was introduced to the pop/crossover market so late, and we've seen the same Italian-hunk-posing-in-front-of-ancient-buildings-in-a-designer-suit too many times already - it's a worn out concept.

What makes a classically trained singer want to sing Daniel Bedingfield hits in Italian, or Toni Braxton songs in Spanish? Because their managers and producers wants them to? For the money? For the fame? For the female fans they expect to form fan clubs and show up to every concert on their tour and sit in front row and take pictures? The answer may be "yes" to several of the questions, sadly. I admire artists who dare to sacrifice the tempting promise of fame and fortune, just so they can be true to themselves and their art. People who make music, play and sing not because they want to be rich and famous but because they live and breathe music and can't live life without it.

Jon Christos - Northern Light

2006-07-19T06:38:00.000-07:00

It's funny how you can discover new artists. I heard about Jon Christos through Josh Groban's message board - not very outstanding in itself cause I've heard about MANY artists there - but Jon was in fact a Groban fan himself and a frequent poster. His friend Alf, who's been member of the message boards for a while now, let us all know about details regarding Jon's CD release and provided web site links etc. He quickly got his own little fan base of Grobanites who now, in addition to their Grobanite titles also call themselves "Christosians".

Unfortunately I was unable to hear audio samples of his music until recently (a computer error makes me unable to hear audio in Flash, which is used on MySpace sites) but when I did I quickly realised that the board members' praise of Jon's voice was well deserved. I ordered the CD from amazon and it arrived today.

I was not the least disappointed. The 15 tracks range from opera arias to romantic pop ballads to Italian, dramatic crossover songs "Il Divo" style. But there ends the comparison; if Il Divo was junk food, Jon Christos would be a gourmet meal. He sings in English, Italian, Spanish and even Greek, plays the piano - and the violin, though not on this album.

My personal favourites are Immenso Sogno and Jubilate Domum, which should be in the music encyclopedias under "ultimate classical crossover ballads". The opera arias are also very refreshing - he proves that he can tackle opera, in contradiction to a lot of other crossover singers who just don't have the voice for it but are trying to get away with it anyway.

After listening through the CD I also noticed that his voice sounds a little like that of Øystein Wiik, one of Norway's most famous opera singers a few years ago and my hometown's greatest pride. ;)

"Where are they now?"

2006-07-16T00:34:00.000-07:00

Recently I've been amused by the fact that almost all of the artists I liked when I was a pre-teen have made comeback albums. Hanson are back, Backstreet Boys are back. Boyzone will get together again. Take That will get together again, however without Robbie Williams. (I'm on a roll, I was not even a Take That fan.) That leaves only one band. The Kelly Family.

I'm always a little embarassed to admit I was once a fan of theirs, even though their song "I can't help myself" was very popular at my school, back in 1996. Die hard fans of Kelly Family weren't exactly considered to be your normal, supportive fan - The Kelly Family became their religion and it was their belief that the youngest member, Angelo, was in fact an angel, because of his long blonde hair and middle name Gabriel. There are even rumours of fans commiting suicide in the belief that they'd get to "Kelly Heaven".

My interest in the quirky family didn't go beyond the fact that 1)I liked their music and 2) I thought Paddy was "kinda cute". I had 4 of their albums I think until I stopped being a Kelly fan and donated them to a charity jumble sale.

But as all the other artists I was a fan of started to release music again I started to wonder.. Where are they now? Thinking that whatever they were doing, Germany would know about it (as the Kelly Family were huge there in their glory days), I started browsing amazon.de. Lo and behold! this is what I found out:

John Kelly, one of the older brothers, released an album in collaboration with soprano Maite Itoiz, who is also his wife. The album title "Tales from the secret forest" sounds like a fairytale, and the music itself, based on amazon's 30 sec samples, sounds like a mix of fairytale, new age, irish folk and rock opera. To my ears this doesn't sound like a pop album per se, because the fairytale like tracks and simple melodies make it sound so much like a musical or disney movie or something of the sort. But the music, whatever you may call it, is in its way charming and I find to my astonishment that John is one of the few Kelly members who actually had a pleasant voice.

Angelo, the youngest brother whom I already mentioned, has also gone solo and just released his first album, "I'm ready". Though judging from the music samples, I don't think he was. The songs in itself aren't half bad; something that would fit into the "adult contemporary pop" category, but Angelo's voice doesn't really match. The lyrics don't really match either; awkwardly phrased religious statements. Lines like "I pray to God for you/for myself as well" and titles like "Child of God" don't really appeal to me. I'm surprised to find that Angelo actually will visit Oslo on his umpcoming tour.

Paddy went solo 3 years ago as he released the album "In Exile" which features the hit single "Pray pray pray". (I even saw the video on Norwegian TV while flipping through channels) . He's shaven off his trademark long hair and seems more comfortable in a leather jacket than any of the hippie-inspired stuff he wore in Kelly Family's glory days.
His album partly has the same faults as Angelo's CD; songs that don't match his voice and lyrics that express religious beliefs in such a charismatic style that it scares people off rather than making them listen to the message. Other than that I'm almost ashamed to say that several tracks on the album are actually quite good, though again, Paddy's voice doesn't really compliment them.

Kathy, one of the older siblings, appears to have recorded several solo albums the last few years and has even released a "best of" compilation. In the albums she sings both English and Spanish songs, and I think the latter suits her voice best. It suddenly dawns on me why her voice seemed so strained and even shrill on some Kelly Family songs; it's a voice that seems to be trained for traditional Spanish singing and not really suited for pop - and certainly not the spiritual, grand ballads she tries to tackle on her album "Morning of my life".

The other Kelly Family members seem to have stayed in the band and released several albums, both studio and live recordings. The most recent one, "Homerun" from 2004 surprised me in the sense that they have traveled somewhat from the original Kelly sound. Maybe we should be thankful for that, then again maybe not - do we really need to hear the Kelly clan, with their not-so-big voices try to tackle jazz and soul? I'll say to their defense though that a change of image was indeed wise at this stage.

Zachary Provost - Heart of the Moment (EP)

2006-07-15T13:05:00.000-07:00

This brilliant EP was released a while ago but I just recently bought it as it was made available in iTunes in Norway. I had already heard Zachary's previous release "Alive" and I admit my expectations were high - and the "pianosunshineman" as he calls himself on his message board didn't let me down. The EP is a refreshing little handful of piano based pop that displays both great lyrics as well as beautiful melodies - Three brand new studio tracks, one live track and a string remix of a song from the previous EP. His sound can be described as similar to Vienna Teng and Corinne May.

When I discovered Zachary's music it was because a fellow Josh Groban fan had recommended it to me - Zach played piano, did backing vocals and was musical director on Josh's tour. I was hooked instantly. I get the impression that not that many people are familiar with Zachary's music, despite good reviews in music magazines and online. Maybe it's because he's released two EP's and not yet a full album - I don't know. But if you like good music I suggest you check him out. http://www.myspace.com/zacharyprovost

I've stooped low.....

2006-07-12T00:08:00.000-07:00

This image alone makes you able to know what I'm talking about in a fraction of a second.
Idol, or Pop Idol as the original UK concept was called, has been exported to many countries and is thought to be the most successful TV concept ever. The whole thing was created by Simon Fuller and Simon Cowell (the dreaded judge of the competition in both US and UK series), and the first UK season attracted 11 million viewers, according to http://www.tv.com .

In Norway, the 4th season of the show was completed in May as 18 year old Alexander Denstad With sang himself to victory in a sold-out Oslo Spektrum. The last 12 shows had less viewers than the year before and caused ridiculously little attention compared to the first season in 2003. Music journalists say they'll be surprised if the concept of Idol will "live" for another season in Norway.

I have to agree. I bought the DVD of the first 2003 season yesterday (hence the title of the post), just to be able to take a trip down memory lane. The Idol series has been worn out during the last two years and the only season which still stands, fresh and exciting, is the original one - no one had ever heard of it before and even though some people thought "oh it's just some talent show thingy" it seemed completely new and people were instantly hooked. As was I; as the show started in January 2003 I had not yet turned 17.

And there IS another reason for my thinking that the orginal season is the best one.

Kurt Nilsen.

He was the plumber with a music career on the side and played in a rock band called Fenrik Lane. He didn't exactly look like a pop idol - his teeth, or rather the gap between them, became his trademark and he was neither tall or dark. I think Simon Cowell put it best as he commented Kurt's performance in World Idol later that year - "You look like a hobbit, but you sing like an angel".
He came into the audition room in Bergen and sang one of his own songs in front of the judges, who weren't instantly impressed. Ole Evenrude was 'famous' for telling Kurt "You're no pop idol, you belong in a rock band."

But Kurt surprised them all. He grew to become everyone's favourite, with his charming personality and most of all, God-given voice. His soaring falsettos made the audience go wild.
In an April show, Ole Evenrude said "it's April, and I can already tell you're the winner of this whole thing".

And so he did. As the icing on the cake he also won the World Idol competition - an international contest with Idol winners from selected countries. American Kelly Clarkson was the favourite to win, but Kurt once again surprised everyone and with his flawless rendition of U2's "Beautiful Day", he won the whole thing - again.

Today he has three successful releases behind him; one being a live album from a collaboration project with Espen Lind, Alejandro Fuentes and Askil Holm. In June they performed in front of thousands of fans during a free concert in Oslo town square.

So 3 years after he won the title of the Norwegian pop Idol, Kurt Nilsen is still on everyone's lips and selling albums in record-breaking amounts - the mentioned live album sold 40 000 copies in just three days.

But what happened to the other idol winners?

(Picture: The Idol winners - Kurt Nilsen [2003], Kjartan Salvesen [2004], Jorun Stiansen [2005], and Aleksander Denstad With [2006], all captured in the moment of victory.)

Kjartan Salvesen was the Idol winner of 2004. The official Idol single, "Standing Tall", was of course a summer hit that year, but the album release was a flop. During his tour, a concert had to be cancelled due to lack of interest - only 17 tickets had been sold. Today Kjartan seems to have taken a break from the music business and is instead enjoying parenthood along with his girlfriend, Inger Terese Austad.

Jorun Stiansen was so surprised that she'd won the 2005 competition that she was unable to sing the Idol single at the end of the show. Little did she know she was setting the trend for a large part of her tour - she was overworked, got infection after infection, lost her voice and had to cancel numerous shows. The single release was a total flop; it was a rewritten version of Lara Fabian's "The last goodbye", called "This is the night". The album turned out to be an even bigger disaster. Today Jorun is working on starting all over again, changing her lifestyle and writing her own songs.

Aleksander Denstad With won against all odds in May 2006. His rival Jonas Tomassen was voted the ultimate favourite in every online poll. Aleksander's Idol single "A little too perfect" is getting a lot of radio play and today Aleksander is busy touring with a few other ex-Idol contestants, driving 10-11 year old girls giddy.

Only time will tell if Aleksander suffers the same destiny as Kjartan and Jorun, but in the meantime I just have to hand it to Kurt. He is the Pop Idol, in every sense of the word.

Russell Watson - what not to sing?

2006-07-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

(Picture: Russell Watson - looking smart, but what about his voice? Photo by Decca/Simon Fowler)

Russell Watson's voice has always puzzled me and I've never made up my mind as to whether I like him or not. Today I listened to Rolando Villazon's rendition of "Amor Ti Vieta" and compared it to Russell's version. Whereas Rolando's vocals emerge from his mouth like soft velvet, Russell sounds like he's in agony - of course not very pleasant to listen to. He also seems to breathe heavily (and audibly!) through his nose in between lines - a minor detail maybe but as I first noticed it it started to drive me crazy.

And here's the thing. Russell Watson is in possession of at least 4 different voices. When he uses all of those 4 voices on and off during a 4 minute song, it gets annoying. As an example I will use the title track off his latest studio album, "Amore Musica". It starts off beautifully with his soft pop voice. Then as he moves on to the first chorus he adds a bit more volume and suddenly his voice seems more edgy and like it's coming from the back of his throat - before it changes back to the soft pop voice when he is in the MIDDLE of a note. This is where I start to wonder "what voice will you end up using on this song?" As the second chorus apporaches he changes into his opera voice, which to me sounds very strained and with a forced vibrato - really belting out the melodies. The contrast between this loud and strained voice, and his soft pop voice is so huge that it sounds like it's a duet with two singers whose voices don't match.
His 4th voice can be heard on earlier tracks such as his famous "Faith of the heart" - the Star Trek Enterprise theme. It's a raspy pop/rock voice that sounds very mainstream and ordinary, though not unpleasant to listen to.

Why can't he decide which voice to use? Can't he do like most singers and merely adapt his voice to sing different genres, not create a totally different voice for each one? Personally I'd advice him to stay away from the arias for a while - when he so openly admits he does not have the classical training of an opera singer, maybe he shouldn't try so hard to be one. His "first" voice which is so wonderfully soothing to the ear would be sufficient to keep his fan base happy and even increase it.

I know I may seem offensive describing Russell Watson's voice like this (UK classical singer Jon Christos even told me I came down too hard on Josh Groban after I analyzed his voice to pieces..) but it's only my personal opinion and I mean no harm. I'll say to his defence that he does have a talent, though in pop music rather than classical, and seems like a sympathetic, nice guy.

Josh Groban's new album nearly finished!

2006-07-10T00:22:00.000-07:00

(Picture: Josh Groban waving hello from Glen Ballard's studio in one of his recent video messages. Screencap by Rachel)

Yesterday afternoon this message was posted on Josh Groban's fanclub forum:

We are close to finishing the album. News coming soon.
Hope everyone is well.
Brian

("Brian" being Brian Avnet, Josh's manager.)
So the release of a new studio album is only a few months away! His last studio album was released 3 years ago - time flies - and judging by his own "updates-from-the-studio" video messages, it will be very different from "Closer" and probably miles away from his self titled debut album. All 3 of the song titles that have been announced so far are in English - "Weeping" feauturing Ladysmith Black Mambazo, "Lullaby", with music by Josh and lyrics by Dave Matthews, and "I'll wait for you", also written by Josh. He worked on these songs with Glen Ballard, who produced "Believe" from the Polar Express Soundtrack. In addition to that we know that he's been in the studio with Deep Forest in France (confirmed by Deep Forest's web site), and he was possibly going to collaborate with Joshua Bell on a track - since it worked so well on the last album... however I don't know if that really happened or if it was just a rumour or wishful thinking...;)

Grobanites on both of Josh's boards have witnessed me going crazy about this upcoming release - both in a negative and positive sense. Positive because it's been 3 years since Josh's last release and it will be interesting to hear what direction he's taking now. Negative because it's been 3 years since Josh's last release and it will be interesting to hear what direction he's taking now.

Let me explain...

It's always fun when your favourite artist releases a new CD, with the promo craziness that goes along with it; articles and reviews in every newspaper, talkshow appearances, radio play, posters in every music store.. then a new tour to follow.
But lately I've started to be insecure about what direction Josh is taking musically. When I first heard him I fell in love with his soft, operatic voice - however I was mostly into pop music at the time and didn't like the songs on his album that were, in my opinion, too "classical". It's been 4 years and 6 months since I bought his CD - I was 17 years old - and a lot has changed since then. I'm sure Josh has too.

"Closer" was different from the debut album both in the sense of his voice, which he pushed higher to sound like a tenor and at the same time adjusted to singing pop songs, and the music itself which was more pop-sounding and less operatic. Some fans found this disturbing, other again found it refreshing. I liked most of the songs but was not particularly pleased about the direction I felt his voice was heading in. That's what I'm concerned about with this next album.

And in the meantime I've grown increasingly interested in classical artists, not only in instrumental music like Joshua Bell but also vocally with singers like Rolando Villazon, Kiri Te Kanawa, etc. I'm afraid I've turned into a self-proclaimed culture snob; I'd rather see Swan Lake at the Opera house instead of going to a pop/rock concert at Rockefeller music hall.

The big question for me is.. will I like Josh's new album at all? Will I hate it? Will I be disappointed? Will I be indifferent? According to Josh I'll have to wait until October to find out.

recommendation: Aled Jones

2006-07-07T08:59:00.000-07:00

If you happen to live in the UK you probably think I'm joking - I've been told he has a very conservative image and comes across as the sort of artist only your granny would like. Since the peak of his musical career was before his voice broke (and he's 35 now), most of his fans must be adults who remember him from "back then". He's released a lot of albums during his musical career, which he put on hold when his voice broke at 16 - and then made a comeback a few years ago. In addition to singing he also has a career in TV/Radio, and even has his own radio show on BBC Wales.

But now to the reason of my recommendation - THE VOICE.

When I first listened to his voice at amazon.co.uk, as I was browsing the classical section, I thought, "they have to be kidding me. this isn't classical". The light voice with a lack of vibrato didn't match the image I had in my mind of a Bryn Terfel-like operatic tenor. But there was still something that appealed to me. At the time I had just discovered allofmp3.com and I searched for his CDs there just to check and to my astonishment they did have two of his albums - I bought one straight away and the other a couple of weeks later.
If I were to describe his voice I'd say it's very soft and soothing. For some, myself included, it may take some time getting used to, but after that you'll find yourself bewitched by it.

If you have anti-religious views or anything of the sort, you may want to skip to the next post though. Most of Aled's songs, at least the recordings he released as an adult, are hymns or other songs with sacral/religious background. That may be hard to swallow for some but as a Catholic and deeply religious person I find his songs inspiring. Check out his official web site http://www.aledjones.co.uk , and hear samples/buy tracks at http://music.allofmp3.com/mp3/Aled_Jones/group_13636/albref_14/mcatalog.shtml

I can't decide!

2006-07-07T04:06:00.000-07:00

I can't decide whether I should like, dislike or be indifferent to this album.
I bought it from allofmp3.com after I'd heard some positive reviews by online friends.
It is, undeniably, pleasant to listen to - a mixture of traditional Irish music and a certain modern twist - but on the other hand the album as a whole seems too sweet for my taste.
Maybe my ears have been spoiled from listening to too many big voices.. cause although the vocalists of Celtic Woman can carry a tune I find myself getting annoyed by their breathy (just like Charlotte Church only her voice is/was remarkably stronger) , thin soprano voices. Which makes this album alarmingly near of falling into the Sissel (Kyrkjebø) category - Too sweet, too gentle, too uncomplicated.

The instrumental tracks are actually the most appealing. One of them was even recorded live which gives a great atmosphere. The only thing is that this one track, along with The Butterfly, seem too much separated from the other 16 (!) songs on the CD - as my iPod started playing this track I thought it'd skipped to another playlist and that it didn't belong on the album.

I think my ears need more time with this album before I'm able to make a verdict..

A new direction..

2006-06-30T02:47:00.000-07:00

I was introduced to Kane Alexander's voice through Josh Groban's message board. As I went to check out his web site I thought he'd sound something like Josh, and I scanned through the tracklist to find that a lot of the songs were in Italian, some translations of English pop songs. (something that's become popular among classical crossover artists - Vittorio Grigolo recorded operatic versions of Keane's "Bedshaped" and even Daniel Bedingfield's "If you're not the one", and Il Divo included a Spanish version of Toni Braxton's "Unbreak my heart" on their album.)
Nella Fantasia was also included; it seems EVERY new classical singer records that song.

Then I hit the play button on the media player.

This is no classical crossover singer per se. I've heard classically trained tenors sing pop songs, or people with classically sounding voices sing pop songs, but I've never heard pop singers, whose mother tongue is English, sing Italian pop songs. Is Italian just very in now? So much so that producers find artists who have nothing like a classical voice, dig up some Italian pop songs, make them sing with a vibrato and pretend it's the real thing?

His web site claims the album is a "mesmerising collection of classical, pop, jazz and Latin music that is both unique and truly epic." So they're not labeling his album as classical or classical crossover. Further down on his biography page he states that "I'm a classically trained singer - I don't claim to be an opera singer!" I would never mistake him for one, I just can't help but think that if he should do pop anyway, why does it have to be in Italian - does he have any particular reason? Therefore I'm tempted to think that his team wants to market him as a classically trained, Italian looking, mysterious, romantic hunk. As I went through his photo gallery to find a photo to post I had to give up - in all the pictures Kane was posing ridiculously and trying very hard to be sexy.

I will say to Mr Alexander's defence though that for a pop voice he doesn't do that bad. It has a pleasant vibrato and would sound good in a musical theatre production. A little similar to the voice of Swedish Peter Jöback. Let's just hope Kane Alexander doesn't adopt Peter's songs on his next album.

Joshua Bell - Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto

2006-06-29T04:26:00.000-07:00

I first discovered Joshua Bell when he featured on Josh Groban's album Closer. I was less interested in classical music then but later as I started to discover the world of classical music I started listening more and more to him. I was lucky enough to hear him perform this piece live as he visited Oslo in May, as part of OsloPhil's program.

When you hear, and even more when you see, Joshua Bell play you get instantly carried away - he plays with such passion and intensity. In the liner notes it's mentioned that Tchakovsky's violin concerto has been recorded so many times by so many performers that new artists won't record it. Maybe I'm lucky to be a newcomer in the classical world and not have heard any other recordings before, all I know is this piece gives me goosebumps from beginning to end. Or especially end I should say; I love the dramatic grand finales that bursts of energy. To top it all off, the concerto was recorded live and it lends a certain atmosphere to the recording. The thunderous applause and calls of "bravo!" after the finale makes a great finish.

The CD also includes a Meditation, which, as written in the liner notes, was composed as an alternate middle movement. This was an interesting idea, I think, allowing the listener to hear two versions of the same concert on one CD.

The last track on the CD is Danse Russe from Swan Lake, a piece that's right up my alley since I'm a ballet fan an practiacally grew up listening to Swan Lake and the Nut Cracker. The dance is not included in the Swan Lake Suite, which has been released numerous times along with the ballet suites from Sleeping Beauty and the Nut Cracker - so I didn't know it as well as I know other pieces from that ballet. Which I think it's a good thing.

This CD is a must-have if you ask me.