What I'm Listening To

Every now and then, I pick up new music from iTunes or have CDs gifted to me. Here’s some of my newest additions to my music library that I’m really enjoying presently.

The Best of Andrea Bocelli - Andrea Bocelli.

While I’m not crazy about every single track on this CD, I do give it a hearty two-thumbs up. As always, Bocelli’s musicianship is exquisite. The recording also features many high-caliber musicians singing or playing along with him (Lang Lang, Sarah Brightman, etc.).

Favorite tracks: 9 – Time to Say Goodbye; 10 – Io ci saro; 16 – Because We Believe

Lauridsen: Lux Aeterna - Paul Salamunovich, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Morten Lauridsen

This CD is packed with some of the best of Lauridsen’s choral literature: Lux Aeterna, Mid-Winter Songs, Les Chansons Des Roses, Ave Maria, and, of course, O Magnum Mysterium. I had not heard anything previously by the LA Master Chorale, but was impressed with their blend and masterful interpretation of Lauridsen’s works. Get alone in a sound proof room and soak in the rich sonorities.

Favorite tracks: 1 – Lux Aeterna: Introitus; 4 – Lux Aeterna: Veni, Sancte Spiritus; 10 – Les Chansons Des Roses: Dirait-on; 17 – O Magnum Mysterium.

Memoirs of a Geisha (soundtrack from the motion picture) – John Williams

I don’t know how I managed to let this go unnoticed for so long. I bought this last month and can’t stop listening to it. It is quite possibly the best soundtrack that John Williams has ever produced. Yet it’s not the typical “fanfare” Williams sound that most people are familiar with. He uses authentic Japanese instruments and blends them beautifully with western instruments and compositional styles. But the best part of this soundtrack is the performers – Yo-Yo Ma on the cella and Itzhak Perlman on the violin.

Favorite tracks: 3 – Going to School; 4 – Brush on Silk; 8 – The Chairman’s Waltz; 16 – Confluence

New Dawn - Libera

Say what you will about the Vienna Boys, but I still think that Libera is the best boys choir out there. This is the second album by them that I have (I first purchased Angel Voices last summer). Their voices are pure gold and this album proves they can sing a wide range of literature (everything from Orinoco Flow to Ave Maria). The album features an a capella version of Bach’s Air on the G String as well as Saint-Saen’s Organ Symphony put to the words of the Gloria. I was also struck by Canon, a rendition of the hymn tune TALLIS CANON (I thought I’d never hear that tune outside of Hymnology class).

Favorite tracks: 1 – Orinoco Flow; 4 – Air on the G String; 8 – Love and Mercy; 10 – Never Be Alone; 12 – Tallis’s Canon

Passione - Paul Potts

Who hasn’t heard of Paul Potts by now? Well, my siblings hadn’t, but YouTube is blocked at school, after all. This is his second album – coming on the heels of One Chance and his winning performances on Britain’s Got Talent. His voice has only gotten better since then. This album has better organization than his last, which was just a compilation of classic favorites. This time it’s a beautiful selection of Italian love songs. I’m not sure why he seems to favor Italian, but he does it quite well. This album provided great listening for my recent road trip.

Many people are trying to reconcile who is better, Paul Potts or Andrea Bocelli. Well, I listen to both (as you see in this post) and I’m not sure you could definitively say. Each has their own vocal nuances and each has their own musical preferences, however they do overlap a bit. Bocelli clearly has more training and experience to back him up and his voice is more open and robust (for lack of a better term). I’m not a vocal critic, but both appeal to me in their own way. It is interesting to note that both men have unique life stories and situations – Bocelli is blind, and Potts went from being a cell-phone salesman to a singer of internation fame after winning a TV talent show. One wonders if the sentiments they express as a result of where they’ve been is what makes them two of the most appealing singers today.

Favorite tracks: 1 – La prima volta; 2 – Sei con me; 3 – Un giorno per moi; 7 – Mamma; 8 – Tristesse.

Rutter: Requiem, Magnificat - John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers

I just received this album a few days ago and had plenty of time to listen it whilst on my 10 1/2 hour road trip home from school the other day. As always, Rutter is a genius and the Cambridge Singers have such a beautiful blend and gorgeous tone. Rutter is able to write very “high-church” music, but yet incorporates some beautiful melodies that are surprising memorable (I’ve never heard a Magnificat that was so catchy!).

Favorite tracks: 1 – Requiem Aeternam; 3 – Pie Jesu; 8 – Magnificat Anima Mea; 11 – Et Misericordia