Search - George London :: Spirituals (Dig)

George London- Spirituals

R. Badger | 03/21/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This recording was never released as an LP- George London himself just was not happy with it. And I have to imagine that it was because of the arrangements- for simple songs, these are highly over-produced, with chorus and orchestra and organ. Not one of these recordings is for voice and piano! So by today's standards (and I guess London was somehow looking into the future) these are dated performanes in a strange sort of Hollywood movie style, as if they were songs from Showboat. But I still give this 4 stars simply because of the Titanic voice of George London. This was a one of a kind voice- dark, extremely intense with a ringing top and a deep, rich tone throughout- he makes James Morris sound like a friendly old grandpa by comparison. He sounds great on this recording, and any new George London is welcome, especially in these Bass-baritone standards. For decades we could all only imagine what he sounded like in spirituals, and here they are- lots of them! So buy this for that voice, and be ready for the stark contrast of emotionally invested performances embedded into glossy, over-produced arrangements."

He's great

Theodore Shulman | NYC | 01/12/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"George London did a lot of singing in American English. Broadway show tunes, folk songs and so on. These spirituals display his awesome size and artistry and charisma nicely although they don't show the extremes the way his Bayreuth 1962 Amfortas (for instance) does. If you're just sampling a few tracks, I suggest number seven ("I could'n hear nobody pray") or ten ("Joshua fit de Battle of Jerico"). These rock. Or if you're feeling mellow, number thirteen ("Oh Lord, what a mornin'").



Some English vowels are difficult to sing operatically without pressing (the a in "stand" is a notorious choker) or becoming incomprehensible to a lay audience (English dipthongs, unlike German ones, lose their recognizability if the first vowel is extended. As in "boy" or "high".) GL's technique of singing English naturally but also with full operatic openness and force rewards scrutiny if you're a classical vocalist in North America.



If you like this sort of thing--non-classical music sung with grand-operatic power and technique--check out Matti Salminen's Finnish Tangos. Also, of course, Richard Tucker's Jewish holiday music. Unfortunately I don't think James Morris' rocknroll band ever recorded.



"

A Labor of Love

Stephen Collins | 08/18/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"George London was one of the greatest basses of the 20th century. His classical music recordings are among the finest ever made. But there was another genre of music he liked, American sprituals. Although he sang spirituals often, he did not record many of them. I was surprised to discover that he had recorded a spiritual album, but never released it. Apparently, he disapproved of it. But don't let that stop you from getting it! The songs are wonderful and London sings them with penache. You can feel his love for them and the feeling will go straight to your heart. Thand you, DGG."