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Post by martindn on May 16, 2008 19:38:42 GMT
Hi Peter Sorry but this post is far too cryptic for me! What did I say/do? Martin Hi Martin, I believe Peter was talking to Martindn. Stephany Yes, I think Peter was referring to my concern that Hayley's performance might not be included in the TV programme, and what I might be tempted to do if it wasn't.. But no worries, they were more than fair to Hayley. I noticed that at several points during applause for other people's performances, the camera picked out Hayley (and Kathryn). Martin
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Post by dutchjoyce on May 16, 2008 21:38:02 GMT
HI, Just saw the video, and it is AMAZING!!! What i wonderful performance, i think Hayley is getting better and better, she sounded very powerful!!! Greetz JOYCE.
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Post by thomas on May 16, 2008 22:15:30 GMT
Hi! Thank you, Dave, for the video. It was lovely to see Hayley and Jonathan perform again. What a wonderful evening! Best wishes, Thomas
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Post by martindn on May 16, 2008 22:43:29 GMT
What a fabulous, passionate performance from Hayley! But I'm afraid I'm going to have to throw in a splash of cold water. I know this will be controversial, but ib feel I have to say it. The performance of the evening, for me, was Anna and Andrea's finale. It was just magnificent! Very different from Hayley and Jon for sure, Anna is a "proper" opera singer, but I find that I enjoy Dave's recording of Hayley and Jon's performance much more than I did on TV. Why is that I wonder? Well, for one thing, on TV, the sound quality was not very good, and Hayley's voice, as I have learned, is a delicate thing that is destroyed by poor reproduction. For some reason, the download from HWI sounds much better, even on a computer. And when I look at that performance again, I realise that most of that incredible intesity comes from VISUAL cues rather than the music, primarily the expressions on Hayley's face. Those expressions have nothing to do with music. The event is supposed to be about music and that is what we should be concentrating on. I think that that particular song is not one of Hayley's best. Basically, it is too low for her. It does not allow her to show off her voice at its best. The songs that do that are the ones that allow her to use her wonderfully pure high notes, every one of which stabs you in the heart. Un Giorno does not do that in my humble opinion. That is not to say that Hayley did not aquit herself well despite that. She easily eclipsed Sarah Brightman (I actually felt sorry for the rather good boy soprano who duetted with Sarah), and I think Jon did the same for Josh Groban who did not impress me at all on this occ asion(wow!). He sounded like a second rate pop singer, and I know, from the CD of his I own, that he can do much better than that. So for me, Hayley has shown she can act as well as sing. Perhaps that's a plus, but it would not persuade me to buy Jon's CD, where the acting will not be visible. So yes, that performance was special if you saw it, but would you still think so if you had only heard it?
Martin
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Dave
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Post by Dave on May 17, 2008 0:42:59 GMT
What a fabulous, passionate performance from Hayley! But I'm afraid I'm going to have to throw in a splash of cold water. I know this will be controversial, but ib feel I have to say it. The performance of the evening, for me, was Anna and Andrea's finale. It was just magnificent! Very different from Hayley and Jon for sure, Anna is a "proper" opera singer, but I find that I enjoy Dave's recording of Hayley and Jon's performance much more than I did on TV. Why is that I wonder?[snip] Hi Martin, I agree that the Bocelli/Netrebko duet was excellent, however, I think you are comparing apples and pears, which I think doesn't really work, as Dame Kiri discovered (albeit in different circumstances!). I could mention several reasons why I don't think the comparison works but it's late! Also, many members will not have seen the Bocelli/Netrebko duet yet and you may have whetted their appetites, so it looks like I have another job to do in the morning. I'll try to make the video available then, for all to see and decide. All I will say for now is that I find both of these duets to be excellent - but in different ways. And that's why, in my original report on the show, I said Hayley and Jon's duet was in the running for being the performance of the night - there were too many beautiful apples, pears and oranges for me to choose between them (yet). But the fact that they were up there with the best in the World and looked every bit as if they belonged right up there with them is a tremendous compliment to the sheer quality of that performance. Cheers, Dave *back to the videotape* i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif
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Joe
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Post by Joe on May 17, 2008 2:24:18 GMT
Hello Dave,
I thank you for providing that glorious clip of Hayley and Jonathan's duet from the CBA's. Hayley was brilliant; her eyes and voice were sparkling!
Cheers, Joe
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Post by grant on May 17, 2008 8:42:19 GMT
Hi Martin
I'm inclined to agree with Dave in that you can't really compare the two duets as they are very different musical styles. Having said that, I much preferred Andrea Bocelli in his first duet with Sarah Brightman (although I don't like Sarah's voice) for me, Andrea sounded far superior. That may be because I don't like opera and consequently Anna's voice isn't for me.
I do agree that 'Un Giorno' is not a very memorable song but then maybe that's because I was concentrating on the performance and not the melody. Notwithstanding that, there is no doubt in my mind that Hayley put her heart and soul into her part and that is what will remain the most memorable aspect for me.
Best wishes Grant
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Post by Jeff on May 17, 2008 9:19:56 GMT
Yes Dave, or apples and oranges as Gerald Westenra said when asked to compare Kiri and Hayley !!
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Post by gra7890 on May 17, 2008 9:38:37 GMT
Yes Dave, or apples and oranges as Gerald Westenra said when asked to compare Kiri and Hayley !! And one of those can be quite bitter Graham
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Dave
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Post by Dave on May 17, 2008 13:37:16 GMT
What a fabulous, passionate performance from Hayley![snippage] The performance of the evening, for me, was Anna and Andrea's finale. It was just magnificent! Very different from Hayley and Jon for sure I agree that the Bocelli/Netrebko duet was excellent, however, I think you are comparing apples and pears... I'll try to make the video available then, for all to see and decide. Hayley Westenra & Jonathan Ansell - Un Giorno Per Noi .avi XVID file 5m 0s, 1600 kbps, 57.6 MB (best quality). Hayley Westenra & Jonathan Ansell - Un Giorno Per Noi .wmv file 5m 0s, 500 kbps, 18.7 MB Andrea Bocelli & Anna Netrebko - Brindisi wmv file 3m 44s, 500 kbps, 14.1 MB OK (Jeff!), Apples and Oranges! Cheers, Dave
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Post by martindn on May 17, 2008 17:41:35 GMT
Hi Dave,
Thank you for posting these two videos. I have safely downloaded them both, and they are both excellent.
Yes, as you say they are very different to each other, and can't really be compared. I was simply talking about my own enjoyment of the performances on the night in my post yesterday.
Grant, It sounds as if you agree with me that the visual aspects of Hayley's and Jon's performance were as important as the music, and without the pictures it would have been less enjoyable.
Martin
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Post by milewalker on May 17, 2008 17:50:08 GMT
Hello all,
I am not going to comment on the comparison between the two duets - as others have stated, I do not particularly care for opera per se - and quite frankly I dont feel personally qualified to make the comparison.
There was however, something for everyone in the Hayley/Jonathan duet. There was, for one thing a certain maturity in Hayley's stage persona that I havent seen before, at least to that degree. That maturity allows her to be passionate in a way she has seldom been before, and if there has been one ingredient missing from much of her previous work, it has been passion.
At around 4 minutes into the performance, Hayley raises the octive, and very briefly actually belts at full voice to considerable dramatic effect. This is also something I havent seen her do before, and was the single element I found lacking in her performance of the Prayer discussed recently.
An altogether remarkable performance on the part of both.....
Jon
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Martin
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Post by Martin on May 17, 2008 17:55:42 GMT
I'm gobsmacked!!! I have just listened to a completely different rendition of Hayley's duet having downloaded Dave's digital recording.
The quality is far superior to both the live and broadcast versions and what I found so pleasing was that Hayley's voice really does excel which I thought particularly from the live performance was just a little subdued and dominated by Jonathan.
But quite the contrary, the voice was strong and clear which of course we all know it to be.
Martin
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Post by grant on May 17, 2008 17:57:46 GMT
Grant, It sounds as if you agree with me that the visual aspects of Hayley's and Jon's performance were as important as the music, and without the pictures it would have been less enjoyable. Absolutely Martin!! I vividly remember Hayley's first concert at Telford St George's when she had Nicky Spence as her guest. They duetted on Schubert's Ave Maria. I sensed then that Hayley wanted to put more into it and perhaps Nicky didn't have the confidence to 'go with it' at the time. I've been waiting for Hayley to have the opportunity to 'let rip' with a duet partner. Heaven knows we've seen plenty of fire in her solo performances recently and now we know what she's capable of and she's had the chance to show everyone and prove to herself (if she even needed proof) that it works, I'm sure we'll see more. Ah! but to answer your question "yes, I had already 'heard' a clip of the song, didn't know what it was about and wasn't that impressed but visually WOW!! Best wishes Grant
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Post by martindn on May 17, 2008 20:21:01 GMT
I'm gobsmacked!!! I have just listened to a completely different rendition of Hayley's duet having downloaded Dave's digital recording. The quality is far superior to both the live and broadcast versions and what I found so pleasing was that Hayley's voice really does excel which I thought particularly from the live performance was just a little subdued and dominated by Jonathan. But quite the contrary, the voice was strong and clear which of course we all know it to be. Martin Yes, this is exactly as I experienced it. I was starting to regret some of my criticisms, made on the basis of the broadcast, after I played Dave's HWI version. But they are probably still valid really. I would really like to know how you did that Dave. It is the same video, but the quality is just so much better than what was broadcast. Sue, who watched it at work, agreed, and said she felt she couldn't hear Hayley properly. She has just listened to Dave's version on my laptop with headphones, and agrees there is no comparison. Martin (the other one)
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