 |  | Certainly a voice worth listening to... |  |
I first came across Eileen Farrell when I purchased Donizetti's Maria Stuarda featuring Beverly Sills. I was amazed to hear such a firm, full-bodied voice, of Wagnerian proportion, able to tone down in bel canto repertoire in a mezzo role. I had never heard of her and was eager to find out more. I found out that initally she was a soprano, taking on Wagner/Verdi roles, an artist who held a contract at the MET for 5 seasons, though due to 'personality clashes' with the likes of James Levine, Richard Tucker, Corelli, etc, decided to switch to jazz/blues. She didn't want to get caught up in the bitchiness of opera stardom, or so she stated in her biography. When I found out about her Puccini and Verdi albums from the late 1950s I decided to try them out. Well I certainly wasn't disappointed!!! I have to say her first few Puccini arias, O mio babbino caro, La Boheme, and Che bel sogno di Doretta, could do with a bit more tenderness, I was constantly hoping for her to slow down in passages, a bit more rubarto, notwithstanding that she could tone down her voice impeccably to fit the youthful innocence of these characters. BUT from Tosca onwards I was entranced!!! The heavier roles certainly fit better, also Madame Butterfly fit well, but it was Turandot that hit the nail, oh my....imagine the Turandot she could have created after such a noble version of In questa reggia!!!!! It doesn't stop there. The next half of the CD features Gluck/Beethoven/Weber, and she can certainly float notes. The Fidelio aria and Ah perfido! are near perfect. Listening to these excerpts I wish there were more classical recordings of this disciplined singer. She would have been a perfect Mozartian. What a shame on behalf of the operatic world!!!! A gorgeous singer able to encompass all genres. Buy this CD, and the Verdi album featuring duets with Richard Tucker. You won't be disappointed!
May 26, 2008| | | Eileen Farrell Puccini Arias | |
40 years ago I bought to LP and have been looking for the past 4 years to replace it. Imagine my delight to find it on Amazon. Her voice is unbelievable.
March 1, 2008| | | A 5-STAR GREAT PERFORMANCE | |
I bought this album a few months ago and have been listening to it on and off quite often and come to the conclusion that it is truly qualified to be a great performance album. All twelve of Puccini's famous arias are beautifully sung including the five German arias by Gluck, Beenthoven, and Weber. Eileen Farrell is a Great American soprano, there is no doubt about it. This is my verdict, I hope you all agree.
August 26, 2007Skip the Puccini arias and go directly to the Gluck, Beethoven and Weber. There you will find Farrell more sympathetic to the style. She does not "get" Puccini at all and just sings the notes with not a jot of feeling, let alone the passion that these arias demand. She holds back on the voice and doesn't once let loose - her top even sounds quite unlike her. In the French and German arias she sounds more attuned to the music, though even there she is sorely lacking. Listen to the beginning of "Komm, Hoffnung," (in "Abscheulicher") in which she evinces no sign that she knows what she's singing about. The opening word of that aria, "Abscheulicher!" means "monster," and there, too, she just sings the notes - there's no revulsion, anger or fear in her voice. "Per pieta non dirmi addio," in "Ah perfido," is sung prettily where it should convey the cry of a woman begging her man to stay. All of the arias on this disc have been sung better by other sopranos of the past and present. Skip this disc, don't waste your money.
July 17, 2007| | | Eileen Farrell-Puccini Arias | |
I have been waiting for this recording to be released on CD for years. No one can sing like Ms. Farrell could. Everytime I hear her rendition of In Questa Reggia, it brings tears to my eyes. Her singing is just amazing. It's sad she is no longer with us, but having her wonderful voice preserved on CD will allow generations to come to also experience this gem. Take a listen to her blues/pop recordings as well. She could sing anything.
February 21, 2007More reviews at Amazon.com ...
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