Discover Opera

Advantages: some good songs
Disadvantages: not a consistent quality

...i bought this cd after hearing dleta sing in neighbours, sadly when i played it a discovered that there were some good songs but not a cd full of them. She appears to be a trained opera singer so her voice is ill suited to pop songs. Among the good songs are lost without you and not me, not i. However, the poor qulaity songs outnumber the good quality songs. This is unfortunate, because if all of the songs on this cd could match the quality of lost without you the cd would be fabulous. There are enough good songs on this cd to make it worth buying but as something to listen to on a sunda afternoon when you are trying to wind down rather than something to be listened to on a regular basis.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: all around strong album
Disadvantages: the singles didnt sell well

...Well this is another of the CD's that having returned home seem to have become a fixture on my CD player. Everyone knows who Charlotte Church is, shes the little girl who sang classical/opera music discovered by Richard and Judy, but she has grown up and as this happen it was somewhat inevtiable that she would choose to aim an album at the popular music market, her vocal talent in undeniable but how well does it cross to pop music? This album was the answer to that question. From the outset the album is packed with songs for strong women, Call My Name the first track tells the story of a sexually confident girl far removed from the young girl was saw singing 'old person' music just a few years ago. The first release from the album was Crazy Chick. Lyrically it isnt the stuff of genius but then who would expect that? It set the standard... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: very diverse, great riffs
Disadvantages: none really

...Muse have been compared to Radiohead by a few people. Yes they both have singers with quite broad vocal pitches, Yes both bands have songs that are epic in scale but have some kind of downbeat feel. But while Radiohead seem to be pionnering some new depth of experimental music Muse have returned with this their second album. Now I could continue and offer an opinion on how each track sounds like and quote lyrics but to be honest this is an album that is best discovered with virgin ears. Origin Of Symmetry seems intent on delivering some great overblown opera but somehow manages never to go that far and be pompous. The single 'Newborn' is a prime example of what to expect with it's operatic high vocaled intro that scream into a fuxxy guitar riff and blistering arrangement. Matthew Bellamy's vocals hit some amazing highs at times... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: A nice relaxing album
Disadvantages: Needs an aquired taste

...1). CD Infomation: (a) - 3 CDS (72 tracks) (b) - Accompanying book (204 pages, commentary and background information in Italian, German, French and English) (c) - Language of opera - Italian (d) - Total running time, 161' 28" 2). Background to the Opera: Don Giovanni was one of Mozarts greatest opears, and as a result is one of the most popularfor all those who have a taste for the delights opera provides. Don Giovanni is all about an Italian Nobleman, Don Giovanni, who is a great womaniser. Consequently, Don Giovanni, has been remarked as a "light-hearted sexual promiscuity". Life for Don Giovanni is fine (a minimum of 6 girls a night!), however, after he rapes Donna Anna, and murders her father (the Commendatore) , after he challenges him to a duel once he discovers Don Giovanni at his game! From that point, Don Giovanni's luck... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Good introduction to the Opera and Mozart
Disadvantages: Narrative breaks up the musical flow

...In a promotion aimed to make Opera more understandable and accessible, Naxos have produced a series of CDs entitle “Opera explained”. The ninth in the series released on 22nd October 2002, is The Magic Flute composed by Amadeus Wolfgang Mozart. All the CDs in the series roughly follow the same format. The first section of the CD, lasting for approximately quarter of an hour, provides a brief and basic biography Of Mozart and illustrated by excerpts from a variety of his works. The recording continues with musical highlights from the Comic Opera interspersed with explanations of the plot and music. Mozart composed the Magic Flute in 1791 as a commission from Emanuel Schikaneder who provided the libretto. It’s debut performance took place on December 5th just a few weeks before Mozart’s death. The plot is basically that of a love... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: some good songs
Disadvantages: not a consistent quality

...i bought this cd after hearing dleta sing in neighbours, sadly when i played it a discovered that there were some good songs but not a cd full of them. She appears to be a trained opera singer so her voice is ill suited to pop songs. Among the good songs are lost without you and not me, not i. However, the poor qulaity songs outnumber the good quality songs. This is unfortunate, because if all of the songs on this cd could match the quality of lost without you the cd would be fabulous. There are enough good songs on this cd to make it worth buying but as something to listen to on a sunda afternoon when you are trying to wind down rather than something to be listened to on a regular basis.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful