A WINTER SYMPHONY (CD+DVD) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've read a lot of mixed reviews on this CD, from Brightman fans and non-fans alike. But in my personal opinion, it's a superb album, and I'm thrilled she finally produced a holiday CD.
I'm giving it 4 of 5 stars because I do believe it could have been better, but that by no means implies that I hate the CD in anyway. I've just followed Sarah for the past 10 years since I was a little girl. This woman was my introduction to opera and classical cross over music! That being said, I know what the "best" and "most" could sound like from her; this isn't it.
I really wish three things would have been done with this CD: Sarah singing, "The First of May" (as she did on the Symphony tour, for pre-Christmas dates), and she also included a version of her singing "Carol of the Bells" or her opera-arranged version of "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" (another pre-Christmas Symphony tour song).
A few notes:
"Arrival" -- based off of the ABBA track by the same name, it opens the CD in a very unqiue and interesting fashion. I never thought the day would come when I would hear my favourite soprano covering the quartet from Sweden. The thing is, she doesn't do it in a corney fashion either. It's tasteful and I think she does ABBA justice. Her voice also lends the track an unearthly fantistical ring to the track, making you "see" the song as you "hear" it.
"Colder than Winter" -- if you ever had your heart broken by anyone for any reason, you will releate to this song. Enough said.
"Ave Maria" w/ Fernando Lima -- I seriously think this woman loves this song, because this is the THIRD (or more, who knows/remembers) arrangement she's has recorded of it. I have all of Sarah's releases and, while I welcome this addition to the CD, I seriously wish she would just CHILL on the hail Marys. I don't think Fernando Lima has a great voice, it's acceptable, but he's no Andrea Bocelli or Josh Groban, and he's completely not a Nick Garrett or Russell Watson by any stretch of the imagination. So what saves this track? The arrangement. It's beautiful and DIFFERENT. The last minute of the song, especially. Peterson is this verion's saving grace! Take the "Ave Maria" you think you know, to a new place. It's either really fantastic, or really brave. You be the judge.
"I Believe in Father Christmas" -- she also sings this on the "Symphony" tour before the holidays, if you are lucky enough to see her in person. It's fabulous! Oh I love love love this song. It's a unqiue addition to any Christmas CD that doesn't get played enough, and for Sarah, that's a blessing for her album!


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Sarah Brightman, A Winter Symphony--This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

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Sting Live In Berlin Review

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(More customer reviews)When Sting originally announced that he was going to tour with a full fifty piece orchestra and perform his best known songs I was a little sceptical. How could that possibly work? Well, five months in, it is apparent just how wrong I was to harbour any doubts. The 'Symphonicity' shows have been spectacular successes since the tour launched in Vancouver earlier this year and have since garnered glowing accolades in the media. When I attended several of the shows, I was totally blown away by the whole experience and quickly realised how short-sighted my initial scepticism had been.
'Live in Berlin' is produced by Jim Gable and Ann Kim who have been responsible for previous Sting releases such as 'A Winter's Night... Live from Durham Cathedral', 'The Journey and the Labyrinth', 'Inside The Songs of Sacred Love', and '...All This Time' as well as 'The Police: Certifiable'. They have successfully captured the feel of the 'Symphonicity' concerts and while there are obvious limitations to the presentation of a show of this size given the sheer number of musicians on stage, the clever use of three large light boxes above the stage - which occasionally provide live and video footage - light the show superbly and provide subtle, tasteful lighting throughout the concert. The DVD also includes Sting's spoken introductions to several songs, where he explains the inspiration behind a song or offers some other biographical background, and while this would be distracting in a faster paced rock concert, here it works well.
The highlights are numerous. Take for example, the unmistakable sound of special guest Branford Marsalis who adds his saxophone to 'Englishman in New York', 'Mad About You' and 'Desert Rose'. The word genius could have been coined for Marsalis who adds class to everything he touches, but the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra also has their stars. 'All Would Envy' spotlights Chris Cotter's stellar trumpet playing, and Concertmaster Gerald Gregory's violin introduction to 'Whenever I Say Your Name' is so exquisite it sends tingles down your spine.
Sting's core group, consisting of Ira Coleman (bass), David Cossin and Rhani Krija (percussion), the ever present Dominic Miller (guitar) and Jo Lawry (vocals), are outstanding, but it's worth singling out the talent that is Jo Lawry. Two tracks in particular showcase her superbly and both are duets with Sting. On 'Whenever I Say Your Name' she comfortably fills the part originally provided by the powerful Mary J. Blige - and on 'You Will Be My Ain True Love' the combination of her voice with Sting's provides a sublime result.
The 'Symphonicity' tour offers something for everyone. The hits? Check. The obscure? Check. The never before performed live? Check. Personal high spots have to include 'Why Should I Cry For You?' with its' intro borrowed from 'Island Of Souls', 'All Would Envy', 'The End Of The Game' and 'She's Too Good For Me'. But do you know what? Watch 'Roxanne' and be stunned at how Sting manages to reinterpret and refresh one of his oldest and most classic songs with cello and clarinet solos. Simply breathtaking.
Rounding off the DVD is 'A Conversation with Sting', an interview segment where he explains how the idea for the tour developed, his philosophy that songs are not museum pieces and how he constantly tries to reinvent his music. The footage where he is joined by Branford Marsalis is especially enjoyable - their easy friendship and mutual respect is immediately apparent.
All in all, this is an excellent reminder of a highly memorable tour. In our household it will also serve as a reminder not to jump to conclusions and to keep an open mind!

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Culled from Sting's critically acclaimed world tour, Symphonicity, this exclusive live CD/DVD compilation features many of his greatest hits, including "Roxanne," "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," "King Of Pain," "Fields Of Gold," and more, all re-imagined for symphonic arrangement. Featuring special guest Branford Marsalis on select tracks, this live concert experience is quintessential Symphonicity! Recorded September 21 at the O2 Arena, Live in Berlin was directed and produced by the Emmy-award winning team, Jim Gable and Ann Kim of Graying & Balding, Inc., in association with Universal Music Classical Management & Productions and Executive Produced by Chris Roberts and Sting's long-time manager, Kathryn Schenker, with music produced by Rob Mathes and Sting and mixed in stereo and 5.1 by Elliot Scheiner and Thom Cadley. Live in Berlin captures Sting, for the first time, on the acclaimed Symphonicity world tour, which has garnered rave reviews from sold-out performances in prestigious venues such as Red Rocks in Denver, the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, London's Royal Albert Hall, among others. The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra has previously performed with internationally renowned artists ranging from opera luminaries Andrea Bocelli, Bryn Terfel, Renée Fleming, Kiri Te Kanawa, and the late Luciano Pavarotti to such popular cultural icons as Burt Bacharach, George Benson, Michel Legrand, Diana Krall, Tina Turner, and Randy Newman. The 45-piece orchestra are featured throughout the Symphonicity world tour. Sting is also joined by a group of accomplished musicians comprised of Dominic Miller (Sting's longtime guitarist), Rhani Krija (Sting's longtime multi-genre percussionist), David Cossin (a multi-percussion specialist in new and experimental music and featured member of the Bang on a Can All-Stars), Jo Lawry (vocalist) and Ira Coleman (bassist). DVD Track Listings:1. If I Ever Lose My Faith In You 2. Englishman In New York (*) 3. Fields Of Gold 4. Why Should I Cry For You? 5. All Would Envy 6. Tomorrow We'll See 7. The End Of The Game 8. Whenever I Say Your Name (*) 9. Shape Of My Heart 10. Moon Over Bourbon Street 11. Mad About You 12. King Of Pain 13. Desert Rose 14. Fragile

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Sting Live In Berlin (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)As a longtime Police fan (since day 1), I've always liked to see Sting perform live, he's one of the world's top singers. What I like best about "Live in Berlin" is:
a) Showmanship, staging, arrangement and delivery are stunning... Sting's use of a full orchestra (who artfully move along w/the music in choreographed sequence while playing, brilliant), adds layers of audio depth to his voice in a superbly complementary way.
b) Dazzling camera work, the dp did a great job in capturing the performance with a variety of shot angles, and technically this is one of the very sharpest reference-quality blu-ray DVD concerts I've seen, of dozens. Absolutely crystal-clear visuals... the camera work and image quality are outstanding.
c) Hearing Sting perform favorites like King of Pain, Roxanne, and Every Little Thing She Does is Magic, plus his top solo songs was a lot of fun, having Branford Marsalis on horns was a big plus as well, they always work great together.
d) Words that comes to mind after watching this last night are classy, brilliant, intense, fun and outstanding.
I've bought dozens of concert dvds this past year, this is one of the very best; nice to see Sting in world-class form with the backing of a top orchestra. This DVD sparkles. Absolutely highly recommended -- thanks to all who made it happen, and Sting especially thx to you for all you've added over the years. Your songwriting and singing skills continue to add so much to the "soundtrack of our lives". Great job. A++
To the craft,
Ken Calhoun, Pres
DaytradingUniversity


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Culled from Sting's critically acclaimed world tour, Symphonicity, this exclusive live CD/DVD compilation features many of his greatest hits, including "Roxanne," "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," "King Of Pain," "Fields Of Gold," and more, all re-imagined for symphonic arrangement. Featuring special guest Branford Marsalis on select tracks, this live concert experience is quintessential Symphonicity!Recorded September 21 at the O2 Arena, Live in Berlin was directed and produced by the Emmy-award winning team, Jim Gable and Ann Kim of Graying & Balding, Inc., in association with Universal Music Classical Management & Productions and Executive Produced by Chris Roberts and Sting's long-time manager, Kathryn Schenker, with music produced by Rob Mathes and Sting and mixed in stereo and 5.1 by Elliot Scheiner and Thom Cadley.Live in Berlin captures Sting, for the first time, on the acclaimed Symphonicity world tour, which has garnered rave reviews from sold-out performances in prestigious venues such as Red Rocks in Denver, the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, London's Royal Albert Hall, among others:"The real stars of the show were the arrangements: classical twists on classic hits that make Symphonicity a must-see." - Globe and Mail (Toronto)"If you have the chance to hear Sting's greatest hits performed with a symphony orchestra, it is one that you don't want to miss." - Diena (Tallinn)"Pairing Sting with the orchestra is brilliant synchronicity on multiple levels. He's a consummate showman and a willful storyteller."- The Denver Post"Sting proves that he is one of the greatest living musicians." - Die Welt (Berlin)"This is one of the must-see concerts of the year." - The New York PostThe Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra has previously performed with internationally renowned artists ranging from opera luminaries Andrea Bocelli, Bryn Terfel, Renée Fleming, Kiri Te Kanawa, and the late Luciano Pavarotti to such popular cultural icons as Burt Bacharach, George Benson, Michel Legrand, Diana Krall, Tina Turner, and Randy Newman.The 45-piece orchestra are featured throughout the Symphonicity world tour.Sting is also joined by a group of accomplished musicians comprised of Dominic Miller (Sting's longtime guitarist), Rhani Krija (Sting's longtime multi-genre percussionist), David Cossin (a multi-percussion specialist in new and experimental music and featured member of the Bang on a Can All-Stars), Jo Lawry (vocalist) and Ira Coleman (bassist).

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Illuminations Review

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(More customer reviews)I came a little late to the Josh Groban party; he already had three albums out and the Christmas one on the way. I think that may be why changes in style and mood from album to album don't bother, or delight, me as they do fans who've been there from the beginning. I recognize "Illuminations" is a hard right turn away from previous efforts, but there is a lot to enjoy here.
"Hidden Away" and "Higher Window" are real surprises for me; they're simple, beautiful songs, and not unlike the song "Awake" from the album of the same name; however, the melodies are very strong here and the lyrics feel close to home. "Straight to You" is starting to look like my favorite song of his: the interpretation is sublime, the instrumentation inspired, and I like that he stays in mid-range, which reinforces the lyrics of the chorus.
"Voce Existe Em Mim" is the coolest song he's ever done. Had he stuck to the previous albums' formula, this could have had the track 1 spot. Obviously the beat is killer. And do the chords in the chorus sound distinctly...Native American? Even cooler. There are a lot of amazing layers in these songs, some of which require the use of headphones to fully appreciate.
"London Hymn" is where I started to think I understood the underlying inspiration JG was working from. I don't know too much about his musical roots - I know he loves the theater - but it's hard not to think he owns a lot of classical music. When you hear pieces like Rachmaninov's "Vespers" or Sibelius' "Andante Festivo," it's extremely easy to make the transition to "London Hymn" or "Straight to You."
There are other strong songs - "If I Walk Away," "War at Home," "L'Ora Dell'Addio." The French song was just okay for me, as were "Bells of NYC" and "Galileo." He does use quite a lot of falsetto this time around, which is...interesting, and sometimes it's lovely and sometimes I kind of raise an eyebrow... "The Wandering Kind" sounds like Jim Brickman, and I just don't go for that kind of piano music. Something, instead, along the lines of Enya's "A Day Without Rain" would have completely made my day.
While I understand the frustration of the fans who were hoping for a different style and selection of songs, some of the highly negative reviews here are just silly. One reviewer said it was the worst singing they had heard, maybe ever? If that is the case, whatever criteria they are using is so far from the realm of actual musical adjudication as to be basically worthless. Even his most over-eager fans are still right: he has one of the best voices, period. It doesn't help anyone to demean him for the sake of a one- or two-star review.
I applaud him for trying new things, for taking a risk in a new direction, and I feel as though with this album I understand better who he is, as a person and musician. Hopefully he will get the overall sense that this was a success by his definition, and continue to find happiness giving of himself in the coming years.


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On 'Illuminations,' Groban worked with veteran producer Rick Rubin, known for his critically acclaimed work with Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Johnny Cash, and Dixie Chicks among many others. Groban co-wrote the majority of the songs, including 'Hidden Away,' which he wrote with Dan Wilson - former leader of the band Semisonic and co-writer of several cuts on the Dixie Chicks' 'Not Ready to Make Nice.' 'Hidden Away' was recorded live with Groban singing and playing piano, Matt Sweeney and Smokey Hormel on acoustic guitars, and veteran R&B icon Spooner Oldham on organ, with a striking orchestral arrangement by David Campbell added later. The opening piano chords and the unfolding melody evoke a timeless Americana, a thread from Stephen Foster through Aaron Copland through Paul Simon and Randy Newman, as Groban makes a heartfelt plea not to hide true love or one's true self.'Illuminations' finds both Groban and Rubin stepping out of each one's respective zone and creating an entirely new zone. The bracing result fulfills Rubin's vision of a 'fine art' Groban record, marrying the warmth of the sweeping American roots of Groban's writing and the grandeur of classical settings by matching the live, one-take performances by Groban and the intimate, core acoustic band with colorful orchestral arrangements by David Campbell and James Newton Howard.

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