John Santos Music

The singers - Plowright, Baltsa, Carreras, Pons, Burchuladze - are all adequate, but the thing that makes this recording abysmal is the terrible conducting of Giuseppe Sinopoli. He drags the phrasing this way and that so that often the music is almost unrecognizable. If you can recognize it, sometimes it is too fast or too slow and at times both. I would urge any buyer of a recording of this opera to avoid it.

Sinopoli's usually bombastic conducting is more controlled in this Forza than on some of his other Verdi recordings. The problems lie in his cast.

By the time this recording was made, Carreras' voice had lost most of the qualities that made him one of the greatest Verdi tenors ever! Granted, the sense of drama and understanding of Verdi's music is still legendary but, alas, the wear and wobble in the voice are unbearable especially if you have in mind the prime Carreras. He was in pristine shape for his La Scala Forza with Caballe in 1978.

It was a good idea to finally hear a new soprano in a studio recording but casting Plowright wasn't the wisest choice. She has a some fine moments but her high notes are pinched and her Leonora on the whole forgettable. I wonder why DG didn't consider Millo or Barstow. Newcomers and both wonderful Verdi sopranos. Millo especially would have made a great Leonora di Vargas.

Bruson, Pons and Baltsa are this set's strengths. Bruson remains one of the best Verdi baritones of any time! His big, handsome voice is exactly what this role needs. Burchuladze is adequate. The less famous Juan Pons impressed me since I first heard him during the Barcelona Olympic Games. His warm, firm bass is terrific though he could sing more excitingly. The also underrated Agnes Baltsa gives a superb performance of Preziosilla's thankless role. It's such a pity that her scenes are this opera's less memorable moments.

In general, this is neither the worst nor the ultimate Forza del Destino. Mitropoulos' live '53 Firenze reading with the unequalled Mario Del Monaco and Renata Tebaldi remains the golden standard.

Sinopoli was a very imaginative Verdi conductor and deserved better here. In ruth there was no Verdi dramatic soprano at the time who could sing Leonora to a high standard, and with Domingo already tired to the Levine set on RCA, and Pavarotti not having this role in his repertory (Don Alvaro is almost as heavy as Rhadames, which also was a strain for Pavarotti), Carreras was the logical choice, He does as good a job as you could want, and Rosalind Plowright has the notes for the part, despite having a peculiarly covered voice with curdled high notes.

I owuld still defend this La Forza for the atmospheric sound and Sinopoli's wonderful conducting, but of course that's not enough to make a successful opera overall.

I have to say this opera has worked its way upwards in my esteem the past couple of months or so. The first time I listened to it I thought the choice of soprano for this recording was a terrible one, but as time goes by I find that I get more and more used to her way of singing. I wouldn't take it as far as saying that Rosalind Plowright is a perfect Leonora; but even so her performance is good enough and she gets better towards the end of the opera.

The one that puts in an excellent performance here is my favourite mezzo soprano Baltsa who sings the part of Preziosilla. As always she's throwing herself heart and soul into the singing and she's adding that little extra to her performance that makes it a joy listening to her.

Renato Bruson who has a beautiful baritone is singing the part of Don Carlo di Vargas. In the duet "solenne in quest'ora" with Carreras he sounds wonderful. And his aria "urna fatale" is pure delight.

The one I have reservations about is Mark Curtis who sings the part of Trabucco. As always it's a matter of taste, but I find his voice to be unpleasant listening to.

José Carreras sings the part of Don Alvaro and to my ears he sounds wonderful even if this was recorded in 1985 and many claim that his voice was way past his sell by date. I read a review from BelCanto regarding his "Forza" video performance in 1978 and they states that "In the aria Solenne in quest'ora he sings the phrase "vi stringo al cor mio" in one breath, a feat not even managed by Franco "big breath" Corelli". This made me curious to check whether he could still do the same in this recording 7 years later, so I sat down and listened closely to this particular aria. And guess what - HE DID IT!!!! And it sounds heavenly; absolutely heavenly. Carreras is like always a committed singer from beginning to end of this opera and gives it all in every aria. And when the result is as good as this; what more can one possibly want? To me, the most important thing isn't how loud a singer can be; what I'm looking for is a singer who can stir my emotions and in this respect Carreras is unsurpassed.

The rest of the supporting cast is adequate and makes this "Forza" an enjoyable experience.

This recording is typical of the thrown together casts which got classical record companies into trouble. The vagaries of style and diction between the Padre Guardiano and Leonora in their dialogue - for example - makes you wonder if they are indeed supposed to be singing the same language. Carreras copes heroically with his dimishing resources and Bruson handles his under-sized voice very capably. Sinopoli's conducting, hasty, ill tempered and poorly organized, is particularly sad when compared to Serafin, Marinuzzi or Schippers on other (more or less) complete recordings. Overall, Levine's RCA cast pulls together for the best Forza in stereo.

A fabulous, ageless mix of Latin jazz, descarga, salsa, Latin pop... you name it, with guest appearances by the likes of Cachao, Chocolate, Anth. Carillo, Linda Tillery and many more. It is a mystery why producer John Santos didn't have a couple more family reunions. I played the CD until the cows came home...

First let me agree with Pena Thomas that only two pieces stand out on this CD/LP. "I Don't Speak Spanish" and "Cachao". Also, let me correct your comment about Cachao, Ismael "East" Carlo performed the spoken text which is a piece by Jose Castellar. Tarabu is a friend of ours and has credited Jose for teaching him about Latin Music.

When bandleaders join forces, the results can be mixed. Not so in this case, Bobby Matos and John Santos are old friends who often sit in on each other's gigs and enjoy each other's company. Mambo Jazz proves that they are both on the same page when it comes to creating great music. Coincidentally, they also record for the same label, Cubop.

This recording was created in a one day marathon recording session (with the exception of the opening and closing, tracks 1 & 9). Keep that in mind while you are listening and enjoying this music.

Two tracks that stand out are a combination of Mambo, Jazz and poetry. The first, MAMBO MONA MIX X (BUT I UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING WHEN I'M DANCING) is a descarga (improvised jam session) with words by Tarabu Betsari Kirkland:

"I don't speak Spanish but I understand everything when I'm dancing The sign language of the body Speaks conga logic: rumba intelligencia and tongues tied by trails of ocean water from Africa, to Cuba to New York City...."

It is music that makes you dance and think!!!

The second is a fitting Mambo/Jazz tribute to the legendary maestro of the bass, CACHAO with words by Ismael "East" Carlo.

Their are other tasty tracks as well. This is a great effort by two masters of percussion. They should be applauded for their innovative approach to Mambo/Jazz/Latin/Salsa, etc. I highly recommend this recording!

I purchased this for my daughter because it includes the Brahms' lullaby at the very end. When I first sang this lullaby to her when she was two and a half, she cried. I asked, "Why are you crying?" She said, "Because it's so pretty." We were in the guest bedroom on the second floor of her grandparents' house in Portland, a little bungalow in Northeast, the night before the Portland Marathon. The next morning, looking out the window, I said, "You can see the tree tops!" and she said, "But where is the Rockabye Baby?" So, when I bought this CD for her third birthday, we were pleasantly surprised by all the other selections as well - the sweetest pieces from a very wide time scale, from Bach to Elgar and Satie. I am particularly fond of the 4th track, "Dream Children", by Elgar, as well as the Prelude in C by Bach, which here is played on a harp. On the whole it is a very calming CD and is nice for going to sleep or grading my 7th grader's science work.

This is a great cd for new parents. I have given this as a gift to many people and they love it! Very soothing music for baby and parents too.

I purchased this CD on the basis of the reviews written on Amazon. I have to say I am terribly disappointed. My son hates the CD, I listened to it and I am not all that impressed either. It is ok but nothing like described by other users.

We play this cd every night at bedtime. It not only helps my baby stay asleep, but helps me fall asleep. The only issue I have is that one of the tracks near the end of the cd is a little louder than the tracks before it, so I just make sure I keep it on very quiet and it's wonderful.

My girls (ages 3 & 5) have a hard time winding down at night. We have a regular bedtime routine (bath, snack, teeth brushing, books, hugs), but they still take forever to settle down and sleep. Adding this CD to the bedtime routine has really helped.