Buy OPERA COMPOSERS MUSIC

Review by Peter Prainito:

I took a chance on this CD (featuring popular and classically derived Italian melodies) based on the captivating cover photo of a Tuscan scene. Well, the music therein is as beautiful as the cover art, and I was delighted. The arrangements are lush and the playing by the Globalis Symphony Orchestra (whoever they are) is first-rate. Sixteen tracks in all, the selections range from opera tunes, such as the lovely “O Mio Babbino Caro” by Puccini to the popular “Con Te Partito” by Sartori (better know as the tear-jerker “Time To Say Goodbye” popularized by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman).

Cuddle up with the one you love, open a bottle of wine, light some candles, and ENJOY!!!!

Review by Monica J. Wagenbach:

We took a chance on this cd while in the Smoky Mountains. The best money ever spent. Each time we return to the Smoky’s we make sure this cd travels with us. What beautiful music.

Review by Amy:

My two sons, ages 4 and 1, love the CD. They love to dance, march, and jump to these upbeat classical favorites. It is a great way to have kids burn energy while working the body and mind. Occasionally I point out the different instruments, loudness, speed of the music, name of the piece, composer etc. It is nice to have all of these favorites compiled on one CD. The CD is 67 minutes long so I start the CD at a different spot each time. The title is misleading, I think it should read “Good Music for Little Guys and Girls”!

Review by Julia Thompson:

My 18-month-old enjoys this album a lot. If he’s feeling grumpy, starting it up will usually bring at least a temporary smile at the first strains of “The Stars and Stripes Forever”. If he’s in a good mood to begin with, he really gets into it, moving with the music. It’s a lot more tolerable on repeat than some of his other favorite albums, as well, which makes my day more pleasant.

Review by Lee Armstrong:

On stage with Josh Groban, Lucia stands barefoot on the stage in a flowing blue taffeta gown standing almost on her toes like a ballerina as she reaches for that exclusive note. Groban generously acknowledges her brilliance, serves as executive producer on this CD and cites it from the stage, which led to this wonderful disc playing in my home. On “Music from A Farther Room,” Lucia blazes a superb trail. The Paul Schwartz opener “Samarkand” throbs and pulses magically. From there to “Oblivion,” a touching moving piece with Lucia making the Hannibal Fagnola Turin violin’s tones swell majestically. Some of David Bowie’s work has been greatly underrated for its musicality, but it’s safe to say that Lucia takes “Lady Grinning Soul” from Bowie’s 1973 “Aladdin Sane” LP to places only she (and now we through her) could have envisioned. The “Ravel String Quintet in F Major” is gloriously stunning with its pixie-like strings juxtaposed with Lucia’s weeping violin. Leigh Nash adds the lone vocal on the Celtic-inflected “She is Like the Swallow.” When I saw Josh Groban in Raleigh, his opening act Chris Botti played a jazz version of “My Funny Valentine.” Putting that & Lucia’s versions side by side is a study in how the same melody can yield vastly different feelings in the hands of different artists. Micharelli closes the set as stunningly as she began in the breathtaking “Nocturne/Bohemian Rhapsody” that marries a Paul Schwartz orchestral beginning to Queen’s Freddy Mercury’s rock classic. From beginning to end, Lucia Micharelli takes us to emotional places, exquisitely feeling, spanning centuries. What a talented debut from this young performer! Bravo!

Review by G-Dexter:

I am a huge music fan and my interests span many styles. I love progressive rock, ambient/tribal music, jazz, rhythm and blues, and I LOVE classical chamber music. Perhaps not surprisingly, I’ve always found a close correlation between chamber music and the progressive rock movements. Both types of music combine precise and thoughtful composition, thematic continuity and a rigorous requirement for outstanding musicianship. Some of my favorite prog-rock pieces include lush orchestration as a supplement to the heavy electric sound of contemporary instruments; the mid-70′s works of Jethro Tull jump to mind.

That being said, I’ve never really enjoyed “cross-over” music. I’ve always felt uncomfortable with established classical musicians trying their hand at “rock music.” There’s nothing creepier than the respected and revered artists trying to be something they are not; Sills singing disco or Perlman playing Nirvana. Okay, that may be extreme, but my point is – the attempt is usually feckless, uninspired and doomed to mediocrity.

Recently, my son and I attended a concert by the aforementioned band, Jethro Tull. We were absolutely blown out of our seats by a beautiful, barefooted wisp of a girl who came out on stage and stole the show from the grizzled veteran rockers with her charm, grace and unquestionable talent. She played a combination of violin-flute duets with Tull’s front man, Ian Anderson, and absolutely floored the audience with a beautifully touching version of the Sibelius violin concerto, here labeled AURORA. From that point on, I was hooked! Not only did she play the classical pieces with great skill and emotion, but she absolutely rocked on classic Tull tunes, KASHMIR by Led Zeppelin, and her own stunning arrangement of Queen’s BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY.

This CD is a beautiful debut and she has earned hundreds, if not thousands of life long fans with her brave choice of touring with popular musicians of all genre’s. I didn’t want to like this CD, but I ended up loving it!

Review by J. J. Conti:

The music is without question, among the most beautiful ever written. But the quality of the fidelity tells me that many of the selections were recorded live in concert in outdoor venues. I wish that was clear to me before I bought the disc. So, is the music the ultimate? YES! Is the recording the ultimate? NO!

Review by :

I love opera! I love Puccini! Not only is the vocalism important to me, but the quality of the recording as well. I enjoy my hi-tech sound system. I like to feel as if I am sitting in the front row of the first balcony when I listen to opera. This CD is excellent! The vocalists were well chosen. The technical performances are eloquent and emotional, as Puccini should be. However, the quality of the recording is not very good. No matter how you adjust your sound system, the recording is a bit tinny and as a result, the emotional high points of the arias are not as vibrant as they could be if the recording were of better quality. I would recommend this CD to anyone who loves Puccini and who is not as finicky as I!