Sweethearts is a sweet album indeed!
01/17/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"How delicious that the two superb singers on this lovely tribute to Macdonald and Eddy are actually married. Futral is well-known from her opera appearances in the US and abroad (she starred in Andre Previn's Streetcar Named Desire and as Baby Doe at City Opera, I believe), but baritone Steven White is less well-known. This seems odd, as the man has an utterly fluent baritone and he is spot-on in the style of Nelson Eddy: same masculine timbre and boy-scout-like sturdy diction. Reports in Opera News have it that this singer is also an opera conductor and is engaged now by many US companies--if true, and he stops singing, it's our loss, for sure.
This is a darling collaboration, and the Newport label is to be congratulated for avoiding the cloying and yet not fearing to offer the listener some of the very best-known duos and solos which the operetta immortals brought us decades ago. Bravo!!"
Operetta Highlights by Futral and White--Well done!
Steven A. Peterson | Hershey, PA (Born in Kewanee, IL) | 07/12/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Decades and decades ago, Jeanette McDonald and Nelson Eddy warbled their way into Americans' hearts. They teamed in movie versions of some great operettas, and their recordings sold well. This CD features the husband-wife team of soprano Elizabeth Futral and baritone Steven White. Robert Tweten provides spare but effective piano accompaniment, never getting in the way of the vocalists.
The songs on this CD come from major composers of the genre, including Victor Herbert, Rudolf Friml, and Sigmund Romberg. Among the operettas from which songs were chosen: Naughty Marietta, The New Moon, The Fortune Teller, Rose Marie, May Time, and Eileen. The end result is charming.
Some sample cuts:
"Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life." White's rich baritone opens this classic; then Futral enters, featuring her delightful soprano voice. Then they sing, rhapsodically, together. Their voices blend well. While I enjoy the work of McDonald-Eddy, Futral-White are in a higher league.
"Lover Come Back to Me": This is one of my most favorite songs in operetta. Long ago, I memorized the words and would sing this piece while driving (so no one's ears would suffer the pain of listening to my poor singing). White sings this well, with the appropriate pathos. Richly sung! And I even found myself singing along (I was alone at home at the time, so no one suffered from my caterwauling).
"Butterfly Waltz": Futral is a talented coloratura soprano (listen to her English language rendering of top coloratura pieces on another CD; she's terrific), and that skill set helps here, as this song calls for considerable vocal agility. Well sung indeed.
And the CD closes with another of the great duets in operetta--"Indian Love Call." Once more, White's and Futral's voices blend together well, and leave one with a satisfying conclusion to this delightful CD.
In short, if one appreciates the world of operetta, this should be quite a bit of fun.
"
Track Listings (14) - Disc #1