[ExI] celtic woman

[Emlyn]

-----------------
WARNING! Serious yootoobage, this post could derail you for the rest of the day
-----------------

Sarah Brightman, I'd never really listened to her before. Just checked
out her Ave Maria (Schuberts) vid on Youtube, wow! Nice visuals! Now
if only someone would dub in someone who can actually sing Ave Maria
well.
Here's Sarah,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXuw9icKXnU
and here's the real thing (singer is Barbara Bonney):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQVz6vuNq7s&feature=related

Haley Westenra, I saw her in a concert thing with Teddy Tahu Rhodes
recently. Now *he* can sing. But all quite schmalzy.
Check out this clip from it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM1Eql4_fwo

Teddy is holding his voice way way back. They blend very well really,
but you can hear her pop sensibility vs classical production for his
voice. Note for her the breathy, forward in the face sound, and also
the way, for a (mezzo?) soprano, that she doesn't float on the high
notes (contrast to the ave maria I posted above). Same applies to
Sarah Brightman btw.

Also, I just had a listen to Celtic Woman singing an enya cover. No.
Spice girls meets The Corrs?

Seriously, be dazzled by the packaging if you like, it's good, but
great singing this is not. Sarah Brightman and Haley Westenra (and
Charlotte Church, etc), are popera, for the masses. The real stuff is
just as accessible, I don't really understand what the appeal of these
people is.

Just to put my own taste on the line, here are some links to some of
my favourite singers:

Bryn Terfel, singing Die Frist ist um from Wagner's The Flying Dutchman
part1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf-qtBRvOwA
part2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEy_3Ub4opY&feature=related

Or anything by Pavarotti
How about Nessun Dorma? A cliche now, and yet how can it not move you to tears?
His last performance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0Sx5lbVlQA&feature=related
and 26 years earlier
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOfC9LfR3PI&feature=related
(for comedy value, Sarah Brightman:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB8psfWBZOQ&feature=related
does my bum look big in this?)

Sarah Vaughan
Lullaby of Birdland
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8cFdZyWOOs
(not great quality sound, have to work to hear the vocal quality)

Lambert, Hendricks and Ross!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anrXYEAkg8U&NR=1

And the best of all, Johnny Hartman (with John Coltrane):
Lush Life:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d6_LUDa_Zw
My one and only love:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecrE80rnjhw


2008/11/22 spike <spike66 at att.net>:
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org
>> [mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of
>> Damien Broderick
>> Sent: Friday, November 21, 2008 9:12 PM
>> To: ExI chat list
>> Subject: Re: [ExI] celtic woman
>>
>> At 08:54 PM 11/21/2008 -0800, Spike extolled Haley Westinra,
>> Sarah Brightman and Karen Carpenter.
>>
>> [me:]
>> Although Ms. Brightman is getting kinda puffy, she's
>> adorable, and I think sings even more angelically than
>> Westinra. Wait--less
>> *angelically* and more... humanly.
>>
>> Damien Broderick
>
> Agrees enthusiastically.  Carpenter owned the 70s, Brightman the 80s and
> 90s, Westenra the now.  Goddesses all.
>
> spike
>
> _______________________________________________
> extropy-chat mailing list
> extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org
> http://lists.extropy.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/extropy-chat
>



-- 
Emlyn

http://emlynoregan.com - my home
http://emlyntech.wordpress.com - coding related
http://point7.wordpress.com - downshifting and ranting