A Nice Collection of Viennese Operetta Music
Timothy Kearney | Hull, MA United States | 01/03/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Jerry Hadley has a nice voice, but it's not always used to his advantage. It is sweet sounding, but not especially powerful, and since there seems to be a dearth of tenors, especially younger tenors, he is sometimes cast in roles that are not the best match for his voice or talents. He is also a victim of the "crossover" rage of the late 1980's, early 1990's, where many classical musicians took their chances with a more popular repertoire, with somewhat mixed success. This collection should please both classical fans and people who like Hadley's pop standard-musical recordings.This recording has many of the standards of German operetta as well as some lesser known pieces by composers such as Kalman, Lehar, Straus, and Korngold. His voice has a sweet sound to it and he sounds comfortable with this repertoire. Some of the pieces sound transposed down a bit particularly "Komm Zigany" from GRAFFIN MARITZA, but this does not detract from the quality of the music. Richard Bonynge conducts the orchestra that accompanies Hadley, and needless to say, the orchestra has a lush, fluid sound to it.It should be noted that this is not Hadley's first venture into this repertoire. It should also be kept in mind that it is challenging, even daring, for any tenor to release a recording of operetta selections, especially when one considers that greats such as Richard Tauber, Nicolai Gedda, Mario Lanza, and more recently Placido Domingo have recorded some of these same pieces. Hadley does an admirable job and this recording is certainly satisfying to lovers of this enjoyable style of music."
Hadley & Bonynge have created a beautiful recording
Romance lover | 07/18/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I wish I had reviewed this sooner, since I have owned it for quite some time. Jerry Hadley was blessed with a rich lyric tenor, expressiveness which came from the heart, and more musicality in his little finger than most of us will have in a lifetime. His German has always been impeccable, and he has a gift for conveying all the 'schlag' (meant 100% as a compliment) that a Viennese operetta aria can hold... and then some.
Some folks may think that Jerry Hadley is too expressive, but that's an oxymoron in the world of singing. Expressiveness and emotion are the reasons the music and lyrics were written in the first place.
He was in his element in these beautiful arias. As a fan, I will sorely miss hearing his voice in any future live or newly-recorded performances, since the world lost him today, July 18, 2007. May he rest in peace."
Track Listings (15) - Disc #1
