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![Barber: Vanessa [Hybrid SACD]](/images/coverart/9/9/1/6/095115503225_100.jpg)
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Barber: Vanessa [Hybrid SACD]BBC Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Leonard Slatkin Conductor
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Loading, please wait...![Barber: Vanessa [Hybrid SACD]](/images/coverart/9/9/1/6/095115503225_300.jpg)
Barber fans will welcome this new recording of Vanessa, which joins an aging original-cast production from the 1950s, and a budget version on Naxos, as only the third recording made to date. It is an excellent performance that rivals the RCA original for artistic quality (and far surpasses it in clarity and richness of sound), and could easily be considered a first choice for those looking to acquaint themselves with Barber's unique approach to grand opera in English. Leonard Slatkin strikes an effective balance between expansiveness and naturalism that emphasizes Barber's lyrical conception without overly distorting the language, which is no mean feat. For the most part, the text is comprehensible without relying on the printed text. The cast is terrific, Christine Brewer (as Vanessa) and William Burden (as Anatol) in particular. Brewer's gorgeous soprano changes color with the seasons as the opera unfolds, lending a sense of journey and awakening to Vanessa. Burden rises admirably to the interpretive challenge of Anatol, who must be both charming and distasteful at the same time. His instant insinuation into Vanessa's household upon his arrival seems plausible. As Erika, Susan Graham sings with her usual polished and appealing tone, and delivers a wonderful "Must the winter come so soon," but she often falls into the trap of prioritizing purely vocal issues over linguistic ones, resulting in some misplaced syllabic accents that detract from the naturalness of her delivery. Neal Davies is charming as The Old Doctor, delivering his "Under the Willow Tree" with an infectious pleasure, and lending a warm, joyful element to the production in general. © Allen Schrott, All Music Guide
Portions of Content Provided by All Music Guide.
© 2008 All Media Guide, LLC. All Music Guide is a registered trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.
© 2008 All Media Guide, LLC. All Music Guide is a registered trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.
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Samuel Barber ComposerVanessa (opera), Op.32...Act 1 Work
56:54
Catherine Wyn-Rogers Mezzo-Soprano,
Leonard Slatkin Conductor,
William Burden Tenor,
Christine Brewer Soprano,
Stephen Charlesworth Bass,
Susan Graham Mezzo-Soprano,
BBC Singers Chorus/Choir,
BBC Symphony Orchestra Orchestra,
Neal Davies Bass-baritone,
Simon Birchall Bass-baritone,
Stephen Betteridge Chorus/Choir Director
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| 1 | 1.Introduction | 1:26 |
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| 2 | 2.Potage crème aux perles | 2:07 |
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| 3 | 3.No, I cannot understand why... | 5:46 |
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| 4 | 4.Must the winter come so soon? | 2:33 |
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| 5 | 5.Listen!...They are here | 1:40 |
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| 6 | 6.Do not utter a word, Anatol | 4:56 |
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| 7 | 7.Yes, I believe I shall love you | 2:04 |
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| 8 | 8.Who are you? | 5:59 |
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| 9 | 9.And then? | 4:31 |
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| 10 | 10.No, you are not as good a skater... | 3:13 |
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| 11 | 11.Under the willow tree... | 4:01 |
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| 12 | 12.Erika, I am so happy | 4:01 |
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| 13 | 13.Did you hear her? | 1:35 |
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| 14 | 14.Help, help! Save me from their talk | 2:54 |
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| 15 | 15.Outside this house the world has changed | 3:12 |
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| 16 | 16.Hurry now! | 2:19 |
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| 17 | 17.In morning light let us rejoice | 4:37 |
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| CD 2 of 2 | ||||||
Samuel Barber ComposerVanessa (opera), Op.32...Act 2 Work
21:12
Catherine Wyn-Rogers Mezzo-Soprano,
Leonard Slatkin Conductor,
William Burden Tenor,
Christine Brewer Soprano,
Stephen Charlesworth Bass,
Susan Graham Mezzo-Soprano,
BBC Singers Chorus/Choir,
BBC Symphony Orchestra Orchestra,
Neal Davies Bass-baritone,
Simon Birchall Bass-baritone,
Stephen Betteridge Chorus/Choir Director
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| 1 | 1.The Count and the Countess d'Albanie | 3:17 |
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| 2 | 2.I should never have been a doctor | 3:35 |
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| 3 | 3.Here you are! | 1:35 |
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| 4 | 4.At last I've found you | 1:38 |
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| 5 | 5.Love has a bitter core, Vanessa | 4:41 |
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| 6 | 6.Nothing to worry about | 6:26 |
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Samuel Barber ComposerVanessa (opera), Op.32...Act 3 Work
44:46
Catherine Wyn-Rogers Mezzo-Soprano,
Leonard Slatkin Conductor,
William Burden Tenor,
Christine Brewer Soprano,
Stephen Charlesworth Bass,
Susan Graham Mezzo-Soprano,
BBC Singers Chorus/Choir,
BBC Symphony Orchestra Orchestra,
Neal Davies Bass-baritone,
Simon Birchall Bass-baritone,
Stephen Betteridge Chorus/Choir Director
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| 7 | 1.Why did no-one warn me? | 5:05 |
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| 8 | 2.Why must the greatest sorrows... | 2:26 |
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| 9 | 3.There, look! | 3:06 |
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| 10 | 4.On the path to the lake | 3:00 |
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| 11 | 5.Anatol, tell me the truth! | 2:40 |
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| 12 | 6.Grandmother! | 2:31 |
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| 13 | 7.Intermezzo | 4:39 |
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| 14 | 8.By the time we arrive in Paris | 1:09 |
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| 15 | 9.For every love there is a last farewell | 2:23 |
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| 16 | 10.And you, my friend | 2:50 |
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| 17 | 11.Erika, before I leave, you must tell me | 4:22 |
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| 18 | 12.To leave, to break, to find, to keep | 4:00 |
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| 19 | 13.Goodbye, be happy, Aunt Vanessa | 2:57 |
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| 20 | 14.No, I must never say that name again | 3:38 |
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