Track Listing

1. Toreador Song: Votre Toast, Je Peux Vous E Rendre [From Carmen]
2. Shenandoah
3. Bugeilio'r Gwenith Gwyn
4. Pearl Fishers' Duet: C'Était le Soir/Au Fond du Temple Saint [Les ...]
5. Lord Is My Shepherd (Psalm 23)
6. Danny Boy
7. Bella Notte [From Lady and the Tramp]
8. New World: Goin' Home, Symphony, No. 9, Second Movt.
9. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
10. Home Sweet Home
11. Ave Maria, D 839 (Ellens Gesang III)
12. Mio Cuore Va (Love Theme) [From Titanic]
13. Old American Songs: At the River, Set, No. 2
14. None But the Lonely Heart, Op. 6, No. 6
15. If I Can Help Somebody
16. Wiegenlied: Lullaby, Op. 49, No. 4
17. Abide with Me
18. Lazy Bones

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #23900 in Music
• Released on: 2003-10-14
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds

Amazon.com
The title of this CD tells it all. Here is one popular classic after another, some folk or traditional, some operatic, some religious or inspirational, some pop. The result in the throat/mind/sensibility of any other singer might be soupy, sappy, or simply uninteresting, but Bryn Terfel--he of the rolling bass-baritone voice who can smoothly deliver notes and phrases at any dynamic level--turns this generous, somewhat sentimental recital into something beautiful and special. After a rousing "Toreador Song" from Carmen, sung with just the right weight (most baritones find it too low, most basses too high) comes a ravishing version of "Shenandoah"; a fine Welsh song is followed by the stunning duet from Bizet's The Pearl Fishers, with Andrea Bocelli singing the tenor part gleamingly and Terfel considerately underplaying his hand. And so it continues through Brahms' Lullaby and Schubert's Ave Maria; the "Love Theme from Titanic" sung with great restraint; renditions of "Danny Boy" and "Home Sweet Home" which are just beautiful; the spirituals "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and "At the River," slightly anachronistic but still effective; the gluey "If I Can Help Somebody"; and a few more. It's amazing that Terfel can bring such variety to material which is temperamentally so similar. Some of the arrangements are a bit sticky and overdone, but overall, this disc is a beauty for all seasons. It will make a lovely gift to music lovers of all types. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews

Bryn Terfel, the Magnificent, sings 'Something for Everyone'
Surely one of the most beautiful baritone voices on the opera stage and in the recital hall today is that of Welshman Bryn Terfel. He is one of those rare artists who has a magnificent voice, intense musicality, and magical stage presence. Terfel could sing the telephone book and make it beautiful.

And sadly that is what this album resembles: the choice of songs and the arrangements and friends with whom he elects to perform raises some concern about his artistic integrity. Having purchased this CD based on hearing 'Toreador Song' from 'Carmen' - clearly the finest, most highly nuanced performance of this famous aria ever sung! - this listener expected a concert of similar arias. Wrong! This is like a summer night at Hollywood Bowl with bits and pieces of all manner of songs, some tasteful, others less so, but whatever Terfel sings it is good to hear his voice.

Some of the more successful tracks include 'Shenandoah', 'Danny Boy', Brahms' 'Lullaby', and a Welsh tune 'Bugeilio'r Gwenith Gwyn' sung in Welsh. But then Terfel opts to sing Tchaikovsky's 'None but the lonely heart' in English rather than Russian, a Disney song (from Lady and the Tramp) in Italian, and for some reason includes duets with a soprano by the sole name of Sissel ('Ave Maria'), an awful pairing with Andrea Bocelli for The Pearl Fishers duet (terrible to compare these two polarized voices!), and some choral and jazz ditties. Whew!

If you can get past the pick and save repertoire here and just relax with Terfel's artistry you are in for a treat. Not for the purists, but definitely a find for the 'crossover crowd'. Grady Harp, June 05

An interesting assortment of beautiful song performances?
I was listening to the radio today and was brought up short by a song from this CD. It startled me with it's beauty enough that I signed online to do a search for the correct name (had trouble making out the announcer's pronunciation) of the singer, then came to Amazon to find this. It may be that I also enjoyed the particular composition's music.

I have not heard ANY of the rest of this except for a little digital sampling here at Amazon but I wishlisted it to my Christmas list anyway. I was moved by the song I heard.

I was pretty surprised to see some reviewers seemingly ripping it to shreds. Maybe everything I haven't heard sucks. I guess that's possible. However, I did detect a lot of the reviewers making comments like they "expected" something different and I think it's possible this is a performer who has veered away from what his traditional audience expects him to deliver and so has incurred a little wrath, I don't know. Perhaps this is a good record for someone like me....a music lover...an opera novice...interested in a wide variety of music styles and traditions....without any preconceived ideas of what the record should be?

I do not claim to be an expert on opera or on singing, although I'm a passionate music lover and I do know this for sure: That man can sing. The phrasing, almost tender, which I heard on the radio is still in my mind. I would really like to hear it again right now but I guess I'll wait and see if someone picks it up for me for Christmas. This is an artist and a genre that I am not highly familiar with, but based on that one song, I became much MORE interested.
So how bad could it be?

I tried to submit my review without any rating since to be fair, I'm not an expert and haven't even heard the whole thing..... but it's not allowed. Even though the song I heard merited 4 or possibly 5 stars, please keep in mind that I am unfamiliar in detail with the rest of the recording. But I figure that something that caused me to take notice, listen to the announcer, go online to reserach the guy, find it on Amazon, and write this review.....well, that kind of speaks for itself, doesn't it?

Bryn Terfel's voice is magnificent, this album superb.
I am hoping every possible purchaser of this album will read this review. Bryn Terfel is a singer whose voice has been touched by God. Rich, powerful, masculine, elegant, emotionally moving. His taste in music is varied and wonderful. I listen to him more often than any other vocalist in my vast vocal music collection. Therefore, I get more value out of his CD's than any other I own. If you love great vocal music sung by one of the greatest baritones of all time, buy this CD immediately. It will quickly become one of your treasured favorites. And Mr. Terfel, please know that your voice touches people all around the world. Thank you for the great music and inspiration, Sir.