Opera and Vocal

Greetings from Amazon.com Delivers Opera and Vocal

Editor, Thomas May

FEATURED IN THIS E-MAIL:
* Holy Fools: The Spiritual Minimalism of Arvo Part and John
Tavener
* New and Notable: Orff, Ravel, Handel, Musica Vaticana,
Rachmaninoff
* Crying Wolfgang: Peter Gay's new Mozart biography
* Passion Hits a High Note: Opera on DVD
* Opera Fanatic: Stefan Zucker's Diva-mentary

HOLY FOOLS
**********
"Holy Minimalism," which first made an impact on the
classical music marketplace in the 1980s, features religious
texts or subject matter (naturally), simple compositional
techniques, and the intentional abandonment of melodic or
harmonic development in favor of a sort of musical stasis.
That is to say, the style deliberately rejects most of the
last two centuries' evolution in Western classical music.
So it's not so surprising that it evokes strong opinions."

Read Amazon.com contributor Matthew Westphal's article on
the phenomenon of spiritually focused music by composers
Arvo Part and John Tavener.
Opera & Vocal

NEW AND NOTABLE
***************
Orff: "Carmina Burana"
Simon Keenlyside, David Kuebler, Christiane Oelze; Berlin
Deutsche Oper Chorus, Berlin Deutsche Oper Orchestra;
Christian Thielemann, conductor
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JSAM/entertainmentsit>
Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana" sets hedonistic, secular poems
from medieval wandering minstrels to wildly propulsive
rhythms and stirring melodies. The startling contrasts in
musical texture among the three worlds of Orff's "scenic
cantata"--spring, the tavern, and the court of love--are
sharply accented in this searching new account by Christian
Thielemann, which also features a top-drawer lineup of
soloists.

Ravel: "L'Enfant et les Sortileges"
Elizabeth Futral, Juanita Lascarro, et al.; London Symphony
Orchestra, New London Children's Choir; Andre Previn,
conductor
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JLFX/entertainmentsit>
Though Ravel's witty, scintillating one-act opera about a
naughty child and his comeuppance is one of the masterpieces
of 20th-century music, it's not nearly as well known as it
should be. Check out Andre Previn's new recording of
"L'Enfant et les Sortileges," which shows off the work in
all its winking delight, including one of the single most
radiantly beautiful passages in all Ravel's oeuvre.

Handel: "Solomon"
Paul Agnew, Susan Bickley, et al.
Gabrieli Consort, Gabrieli Players; Paul McCreesh, conductor
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JLFG/entertainmentsit>
This complete, uncut account of one of Handel's greatest
biblical oratorios is, quite frankly, a must-have for fans
of the baroque--indeed, of magnificent and thrilling music,
period. Under Paul McCreesh's direction, and with star
countertenor Andreas Scholl in the title role headlining a
splendid group of soloists, "Solomon" comes to brilliant
life in an acoustic setting that particularly enhances the
experience.

"Musica Vaticana"
Pomerium; Alexander Blachly, director
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000J5W2/entertainmentsit>
The New York-based group Pomerium has produced their best
recording yet, displaying a suavity that calls to mind the
Tallis Scholars. This is a sumptuous gathering of motets
from the Vatican Library's collection. Contemporaneous with
Michelangelo's commissions for the Vatican, these pieces by
Josquin and others are as stunning to the ear as their
illuminated manuscripts are to the eye.

Rachmaninoff: "All-Night Vigil (Vespers)"
Yelena Posrednikov, Misha Myznikov, et al.; Seattle Pro
Musica; Karen P. Thomas, conductor
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000G4EM/entertainmentsit>
Stirring spiritual choral music is hardly limited to
Gregorian chant. The rich tradition of Russian church
singing was a source for one of Rachmaninoff's finest works,
the rousingly prayerful "Vespers." Seattle Pro Musica's new
recording captures the work's serene beauty in a sensitive
and idiomatic rendition.

CRYING WOLFGANG
***************
Having previously chronicled the life of Sigmund Freud,
Peter Gay now turns to a very different subject: the
precocious, trash-talking genius known as Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart. In an exclusive article, the author discusses the
psychological tug-of-war between the composer and his
domineering dad--and names his Mozartean top 10.
Opera & Vocal

PASSION HITS A HIGH NOTE
************************
From the power of the orchestra to the passion of a beloved
aria, opera is the original multimedia experience, combining
music, drama, and lavish production design to tell stories
that remain timeless and grandly entertaining. Many of the
finest operas have arrived on DVD. Amazon.com contributor
Joe McLellan provides an informative introduction to our
list of what's available.
DVD

OPERA FANATIC
*************
"Opera Fanatic: Stefan and the Divas"
Jan Schmidt-Garre
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/6305332800/entertainmentsit>
Stefan Zucker's utterly bizarre, superproduced, nostalgia-
driven diva-mentary deserves to become a cult classic.
Zucker, himself holder of the Guinness Book of World
Records position as the "world's highest tenor," spent
1996 tracking down 10 divas from a bygone world of
opera-star worship and got them to bare their souls--and
trade secrets. This is most certainly a one-of-a-kind film.

******

You'll find more great music, articles, and interviews in
Amazon.com's Opera and Vocal Music section at
Opera & Vocal

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