Search - English Traditional, Scottish Traditional, George Frederick Handel :: The Voice

Sublime compliation of Scholl's Harmonia Mundi recordings

Veggiechiliqueen | 01/22/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Andreas Scholl is the countertenor, nay, the *VOICE* of all time. None can match him for clarity, diction, tone, precise phrasing, or *passion* that he puts into every song that he performs. For me, Scholl's voice is the voice of a divine being, at once something mysterious, holy, achingly beautiful and otherworldly.If you believe me to exaggerate, so be it. To each his own. Countertenors are not to everyone's tastes even though they are more visible and mainstream than thirty years ago. Yes, there is perhaps some novelty to be found for the uninitiated at the sound of a man singing falsetto. I did not say "singing like a woman" because I do not believe that to be the purpose. "Singing like a woman" in my book defines Brian Asawa and David Daniels, two popular American countertenors who, to my delicate ears, sound exactly like mezzo sopranos and not the otherworldly, decidedly masculine sound of a countertenor (with the exception of Dominique Visse, whose voice is extremely androgynous, especially in the higher registers). This is only my humble opinion.I discovered Andreas Scholl three years ago and have collected many of his works since. My first Scholl song was "Ombra Mai Fu," a song that is present on this collection. I was in awe, in heaven even, at the first sound of his pure voice, that first gentle crescendo that hinted of sensuality, vocal purity, a past era of Bach, Handel, Hasse. Scholl's phrasing is lush, his singing is effortless, he makes sparing use of vibrato, spinning track after track of an unmatched vocal tapestry. At times Scholl and the orchestra match each other note for note, at other times his voice soars above into the heavens ("Cessate, omai cessate"). "The Voice" covers various styles from nine different Andreas Scholl Harmonia Mundi recordings (Deutsche Barocklieder, English Folksongs and Lute Songs, Kantate, St. Matthew Passion, Cantates Profanes, Maddalena ai piedi di Cristo, Ombra mai fu, Messiah, Stabat Mater). Andreas quit Harmonia Mundi in 1999 and signed a recording contract with Decca Classics, on which he has released five additional recordings (Nisi Dominus, Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, Heroes, A Musicall Banquet, and Wayfaring Stranger).It is my opinion that the best of Scholl's works up to the present were with Harmonia Mundi, as these 21 selections show. We have the pleasure of hearing Andreas sing English lute songs ("The Three Ravens," "Barbara Allen"), Baroque religious works by Bach, Handel, Caldara and Buxtehude ("Erbarme Dich," "Agnus Dei," "But Who May Abide," and "Jubilate Domino"), German Baroque songs, and other Baroque cantatas by Vivaldi and Bach.At present (including several upcoming projects) Scholl's discography is over 75 recordings large. This is an excellent and affordable introduction to the voice of a most remarkable man."

Baroque My Heart

Exguyparis | Lansdowne, PA USA | 09/13/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For a relatively young singer, Andreas Scholl has a surprising number of recordings. This attests to his amazing talent and the increasing popularity of music for countertenors. This CD is a sampler of Scholl's repertoire. The English folksongs are interesting and pleasant, but for me, it is the Baroque works that truly shine. Scholl's voice is remarkably pure; his versatility and fluidity lend themselves perfectly to the currents of Baroque music. His take on Handel's Xerxes is incredible-this is music at its finest: pure joy, pure passion, raw emotion. It is heart-wrenching and soul-shaking. In "But who may abide the day of His coming?" from the Messiah, Scholl masters the balance between structured discipline and bravura "riffs" that demonstrate a singer's range and talent. Vivaldi's Sabat Mater, one of my favorite pieces of music, gets glorious treatment.I'm glad that our civilized world had abolished the practice that creates a castrato, and I'm glad that there are rare talents like Scholl who can give us a sense of this musical genre.The only downside to purchasing this CD is that you will immediately want to run out and purchase the complete version of each sample presented here!If you enjoy listening to the magic of countertenors, I highly recommend Yoshikazu Mera, an amazing young Japanese artist. Start with his "Baroque Arias" CD, and I'm sure you will try more."

A showcase to a beautiful voice

Tina Morris | Rockville, MD USA | 04/30/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album is a superbly selected compilation that highlights Scholl's strength in several different areas of song: the english folk tune, German Bach and pre-Bach as well as Italian baroque. The album draws well-chosen excerpts from some of his most stellar performances, like Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, Haendels Messiah or Bach's St. Mathew passion. These are well-balanced with English folk tunes and some early German songs. This is a great first Scholl disc to buy as it really showcases the abilities of the German countertenor in different areas. If you have several of his albums already, you may want this as a "best of" selection."