Dalida was one of the most important female singers in the history of French music, yet she is hardly known in Britain or America. Her career spanned 32 years from 1956 to 1987, when she committed suicide. She recorded for the Barclay label until 1970, when she moved to her brother's label, Orlando. This collection contains (as far as I know) every song she recorded for Barclay in it's original form (no remixes here). Another massive boxed set is available covering all her Orlando recordings. The CD's that make up the two boxed sets were all made available separately.
". . . [there are numerous times] when subtlety and beauty of his vocal effects take the breath away: the dazzling light and rapid fade, for instance, during the syllables of the word "lumière" [in act one] . . . Sophie Koch puts her best tonsils forward singing the agonized Charlotte of act three, while Eri Nakamura is suitably bubbly [as Sophie] . . . Villazón's ardour finds its match in Antonio Pappano's conducting. He never shrinks from the luscious ache in Massenet's music or its dramatic bustle. Nocturnal sighs; bucolic whooping; dark melodramatics: the Royal Opera House orchestra takes care of them all." ~The Times
Since winning in 2004 prize at Francisco Vinas International Competition in Barcelona and two prizes at Placido Domingo’s Operalia Competition in Los Angeles, Dmitry Korchak has continued to delight audiences worldwide in some of the most celebrated venues, playing some of the greatest leading operatic roles and collaborating with renowned conductors and orchestras.
In 1954, producer Norman Granz held a couple of marathon recording sessions featuring vibraphonist Lionel Hampton, pianist Oscar Peterson, bassist Ray Brown, drummer Buddy Rich, and (on April 13) clarinetist Buddy DeFranco. This set has three selections from the DeFranco date (a 17-plus-minute "Flying Home," the original "Je Ne Sais Pas," and "On the Sunny Side of the Street") and one from the earlier session ("April in Paris"). Hampton is typically exuberant throughout (grunting rather loudly during a few later ensemble choruses on "Flying Home"), DeFranco and Peterson are as swinging as usual, and the overall music is quite joyous.
After two highly acclaimed albums with her jazz quartet, Elina Duni issues her most intimate recording to date. The entirely solo Partir features the Tirana-born vocalist, accompanied by her own piano, guitar and frame drum, interpreting songs from very diverse sources. From folk songs and chansons to songs of singer-songwriters. Here we find traditional music from Albania, Kosovo, Armenia, Macedonia, Switzerland and Arab-Andalusia as well as Jacques Brel’s “Je ne sais pas”, Alain Oulman’s “Meu Amor”, Domenico Modugno’s “Amara Terra Mia”, Elina’s own “Let Us Dive In” and more. Duni’s uniquely-expressive voice and pared-down arrangements locate a common thread of longing that runs through the material. Partir was recorded at Studios La Buissone in the South of France in July 2017, and produced by Manfred Eicher.