"Once again, the Diva amazes me! This CD has been on my player since last Thanksgiving. Amazing performances, elegant arrangements. La Mouskouri's voice and interpretations are in "classic" form! This is my 128th Mouskouri album, and the quality of her work just gets better. I highly recommend this to people who've been enjoying her work for years, and it's an ideal introduction to the Classical side of this amazing woman."
The most sublime album ever recorded.
Spyro Sambalis | NEW YORK, NY USA | 12/05/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have been collecting Nana Mouskouri CD's for years and have recently discovered many fabulous albums by her on LP (through ebay) which have never been released on CD (but which should be). Nana has, what in my opinion is, the most beautiful voice mankind has ever known. She is also very unique in that she can sing in many different languages perfectly (regardless of how fast or slow the rhythm of the song is). Even though she is Greek, she can sing in English, French, and German with no foreign accent at all. She also sings very beautifully in Spanish and Italian (but these languages are phonetically easy for a Greek, while English, French, and German are not). There are, of course, other wonderful singers who can sing spectacularly well in Spanish and Italian but whose pronunciation of English, French, and German is horrifyingly awful (I won't name them).In this album, Nana has chosen a wonderful array of arias and sacred songs which she interprets amazingly well. Her voice is just as spectacular as ever. It's amazing how she goes from one language to another so gracefully and flawlessly. This is something very few artists can do. There ARE other artists who can do nice interpretations of SOME of these songs but no one who can do so with ALL of these songs. Most Greek, Italian, and Spanish vocalists cannot sing in French, German, or English (at least not very well). Likewise, most English, French, and German vocalists do very well in their respective languages but poorly with other languages. Nana seems to have no language barriers.This CD is truly amazing."
Truly a Classic
Aage Nielsen | Boise, Idaho United States | 02/19/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have nearly 60 Nana Mouskouri CDs in around 10 languages, but I must say that this new release has left me astounded! To have recorded such a credible album at this point in her career will assure old and new fans that Nana Mouskouri is still in top form and should stay that way for some time. On Classic, an album of mostly arias and sacred works, Mouskouri gracefully makes the transition through Greek, French, German, Italian, English, Latin and Spanish all on the same album. Usually her albums are in the same language and marketed to the corresponding countries. Classic is a refreshing change from that. Not that I can think of any significant weak points in Mouskouri's career, but this album should remain as a highlight. (Although I would compare it favorably to the recent Concert For Peace.)"
Mélange
Stephen Kersten | 03/08/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This CD is a mixture of songs that are "classic" only in a wide sense of that word. Admirer of Nana though I am, and happy though I am to add it to my vast treasure of her songs, I do wonder what prompted the issuance of this strange collection. Many of the selections are religious. Some of them are connected with the Roman Catholic liturgy: two in Spanish from the Missa Criolla, but in reverse order; one Latin "Panis Angelicus" appropriate to the Communion, but again in a strange position (and sung too rapidly). Then there is Beethoven's Ode to Joy from the Ninth Symphony, sung not in the expected German but in French and English. The CD opens with "L'Amour Gypsy" from "La Traviata," sung in French against a chorus from which it is difficult to distinguish Nana's voice. Strangest of all, perhaps, is a charming Scottish love song "Blow the Wind Southerly," attributed to a source called "The Episcopal(ian?) Anthology." Nana's great proficiency in languages is evident throughout this CD, and her singing is fine. However, the collection strikes me as "mix without match" or "mixtum gatherum." Hence the four stars rather than my usual five for anything Nana does."