Search - Johann Sebastian Bach, Georges Bizet, Johannes Brahms :: A Portrait

Sirry D. (SirryD)
Reviewed on 10/6/2016...

Kiri Te Kanawa: A Portrait. This is a beautiful compilation. Two discs with arias by the talented opera star Kiri Te Kanawa. I have enjoyed her performances for many years and this set contains a cross section of music she recorded under world class conductors like Sir Colin Davis, Sir Georg Solti, and Jeffrey Tate. You cannot miss with this one which includes Puccini, Verdi, Mozart, Franc, and others. One of my favorites is the Nuns' Chorus from Casanova, music by J. Strauss Jr. Also includes her lovely Ave Maria and Pie Jesu. Well balanced selection and a treat to listen to.

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Elegant is as elegant does!

OperaOnline.us | Boston, MA | 04/24/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This the review that I wrote for OperaOnline.us: There is only one word to describe this compilation of varied works by soprano Kiri Te Kinawa: Elegant! From the cover to the selection of songs inside, to the way each selection contributes to and results in a perfect blend of orchestra and singer, nothing is out of place. I usually prefer CDs that are thematic and carry a mood throughout, and this offering by DECCA, bless them, will not disappoint those who share my sensitivity to mood. It doesn't hurt either that Kinawa's voice radiates control and smoothness that sweeps one up in defiance of gravity to a place somewhere betyween awe and gratitude, but that is exactly what occurs here. You listen to the melodic expressiveness of Beim Schlafengehen with the Wiener Philharmoniker and think it can't get any better, and then find it followed by Ave Maria with the Utah Symphony, followed by Pie Jesu with the Orchestre symphonique de Montreal, and it does get better. The chorals are pretty impressive as well, as in Nuns' Chorus and Climb Every Mountain. Consistently Kinawa's voice soothes and never presses even close to the edges of shrill. She is a soprano with depth and a cultured delivery that wraps every note in any range with the delicacy of a mother's loving embrace. It just doesn't get any better than this. Give this CD to someone you love, they'll appreciate it, with this one caveat: the second of the two disks is less moody and a little uneven in mood. Hold the second disc back."