Word: sung
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...Anne Sofie von Otter Schubert: Lieder (Deutsche Grammophon) The cool radiance of Von Otter's mezzo-soprano voice lights up this cannily chosen, passionately sung program of 18 Schubert songs, stylishly accompanied by pianist Bengt Forsberg. Some are obscure, some ultrafamiliar, but either way they are irresistible; even the age-old Ave Maria sounds brand...
...version tries to address these concerns. Playwright Wendy Kesselman (My Sister in This House) has done a thorough reworking, including material from the expanded edition of the diary published in 1991 (with most of the material restored that Frank had deleted), adding more Jewish references (a Hanukkah song is sung in Hebrew) and in general giving the play a less sentimental, more astringent tone. "I thought it was crucial to bring out the darker side," says Kesselman...
...blesses different members of the household, ending with: "The Lord increase you day by day, and send you more and more." Unfortunately, many of the singers had their noses buried in their music throughout the performance, which somewhat detracted from the message. Nonetheless, the warmth with which it was sung added to the general feeling of joy among the singers, reached out to the listeners. And at last, after a joint audience/choir rendition of the old favorite, "Silent Night," the audience gave the singers and conductors the ovation they deserved for a superb concert and a lovely way to begin...
...highlight of the album, however, comes from the wholly different sound of "Red Right Hand" by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. Sung with a deep, eerie voice, the song carries an extremely mellow groove. Mysterious sounds radiate in the background--ultimately conspiring with the vocals to create a stunningly arcane song. While the Scream 2 soundtrack may sell because it includes bands like the Foo Fighters and Dave Matthews Band, the real appeal comes from offerings like this one and those from lesser-known groups...
...will, of course, now outlive us all. So: Happy 82nd Birthday, Frankie! It's been a lotta years since Hoboken, and not all pretty ones. Regrets? He's had a few. But then again, the smart money says that The Chairman of the Board wouldn't change much, having sung ? and lived ? all this time in the manner befitting a legend...