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Post by Tin on Aug 22, 2008 14:34:43 GMT
I don't know how enthusiastic you are about Sarah... Well, as another thread has put, if Hayley is my favourite singer, then Andrea Bocelli comes second. I think Sarah would probably be in the third place along with a few other singers in this sense. The reason why I pay a little bit more attention to Sarah is that I find her career path intriguing. She started off as a dancer (her Starship Trooper is vintage) and her marriage with ALW led her to do something more Classical. Honestly I only started to like her music when her Symphony was out; when I heard Fleurs du Mal I was like "Oh I have to buy this album". I know she doesn't like to be called the 'grandmaster' of classical crossover, but studying what she had done in her music career may really enlighten crossover fans like us somehow. An album with only pure classical pieces bore me and I dislike pop music (albeit I rather like James Blunt and a few other pop artists) so what Sarah has been doing more or less pleased me. By the way, you buying guide is concise and well-written with accurate discernments. Personally I find Symphony's tracklist arrangement interesting; it's arranged in a way that pop and classical pieces appear alternatively. And I look forward to the Repo film, which sounds a bit nonsensical but interesting.  Tin |
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Post by Libby on Sept 28, 2008 4:21:38 GMT
My favorite song by Sarah Brightman is "Who Wants to Live Forever"; hers is my favorite version ever. I especially love the part where she sings, "touch my tears with your lips, touch my world with your fingertips". I also love the part right before that, where she sings "ooh..." Here's the video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt9BM_JBqH0My other favorite is "Time to Say Goodbye" with Andrea Bocelli. I like her version of Scarborough Fair, because it's dramatic. But the way Hayley sings "Between salt water and the sea strand" is sooo beautiful, that I listen to the song just to hear that one sweet note! If something interrupts it, I have to "rewind", and hear it again properly!  I like Sarah's voice best when she sings in a more "ethereal" way, rather than the classical/opera songs. I do think she did Nessun Dorma well. Otherwise, though, if I hear Sarah's version of a song that Hayley's done, I don't like it so much, because Hayley's voice is much more pleasant. I never cared for O Mio Babbino Caro or In Trutina till I heard Hayley's versions! Now, I absolutely LOVE O Mio Babbino Caro! However, I do think Hayley needs to avoid singing so many of the same songs as singers like her, even if she does sing them better. Otherwise, she'll be compared to them, and she won't seem original at all. |
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Post by milewalker on Sept 28, 2008 7:52:36 GMT
And BTW, you can see my review of her latest album here: ourenclave.wordpress.com/2008/06/21/sarah-brightmans-symphony-review-by-nicola/As always, you can expect a harsh review, like I do with absolutely everything that's released! I gave it three out of five stars. I guess she went backwards as opposed to forwards, so I was little off with it, but I still really enjoy it, especially the title track! It's so beautiful. <3 There is also a trailer of most of the songs in my review, so you can play that and determine whether you want to take the chance of not. For anyone that has found Sarah's voice overblown throughout the years, her voice has changed dramatically since Harem. She's not as good as she was. Something happened, or her training took her in the wrong direction. You only have to watch her appearence at the Princess Diana Memorial Concert with Josh Groban to know what I mean. :/ www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwPahBsOLnMHi Nicola I agree that Sarah has diminished somewhat recently - what really struck me about your clip was how much wider her vibrato suddenly became. I dont really mind vibrato when not overdone - but you could drive a truck through this. It also doesnt sound like she is always in perfect control of it. I could be wrong about this - I often am! - but it is my fear that her better days are now behind her. She also has an annoying habit of intentionally coming into phrases a whole tone flat and sliding up to the proper pitch. To be fair she has always done this, but not to this degree, and along with the wide vibrato it made this video almost painful to listen to. This is a shame, because over the years I have listened to her a fair amount. She was one of a select few artists I was still collecting in the 90,s, and she along with John Denver were the only two artists I saw in concert that decade. Jon |
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Post by nicola on Dec 17, 2008 18:23:38 GMT
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Post by Libby on Jun 2, 2014 20:46:40 GMT
To avoid going too off-topic in the BGT thread, I've moved our conversation over here: Do an A/B on Sarah Brightman v Hayley on Scarborough /Fair. And report what you hear. Yes, I like Sarah, but Hayley blows her out of the water IMO. Martin D I don't need to compare, I've already heard both. And I haven't forgotten how Hayley's sounds. Sarah's was the first version I heard aside from the Simon & Garfunkel one, and I always liked it. I remember enjoying it very, very much, and upon listening again, I still do. I understand that because you prefer Hayley to Sarah that Hayley's version would blow you away more than Sarah's. But if you were trying to say that Hayley's voice is somehow more superior than Hayley's, then that is inaccurate. Sarah has always been a phenomenal vocalist, and at her age to be still singing that way, is even more phenomenal, especially considering her vocal problems in recent years. Technically, they are both amazing vocalists. They are just different, unique voices that are amazing in their own way. Sarah's version is more womanly and seductive-sounding than Hayley's, and I find Sarah's slower, dramatic arrangement very effective. As much as I love Hayley, I don't think Hayley could ever really blow Sarah Brightman out of the water. For example, I don't think Hayley could surpass Sarah on Nessun Dorma. And I don't even mean just the high notes, I mean that Hayley's tone doesn't seem right for it. Hayley is just not an opera singer that's all. Sarah's voice is more suited to that. But then, Sarah can still sing softer, ethereal songs and sound beautiful, too. However, I do think that if you were to have both sing IDAD, Hayley's version would be better. But in comparing each singer's recordings of Scarborough Fair, no, Hayley's is not truly superior. I don't think I can even say I like Hayley's voice better in that song, because I think they both sound great. Of course because I had discovered Hayley, I kind of forgot about Sarah's version and only listened to Hayley's. But it's not because I no longer enjoyed Sarah, but Hayley was the only one to sell me on certain arias that I thought dull before, including ones by Sarah and also Charlotte. So because of that, I became a big fan of Hayley, and so obsessed with Hayley's music that for a while I was mainly just listening to her and Josh Groban. But now that I have a bigger appreciation for the classical crossover genre than I did at first, I find myself sort of re-discovering Sarah Brightman, and I even downloaded several of her songs recently. Also, she's added more tour dates, and is returning to the Seattle-area soon. I have never seen her live before, and I kind of wanted to last year when she was here. But she came a little too close to Josh Groban's concert that I kind of forgot and didn't think anyone would go with me. But this time, I'm almost desperate to go, because she's not getting any younger, and you never know when she'll be done. Upon listening to her concert videos from last year's tour, she still sounds really good. I don't even know how old she is now. I also like the sound of some of her newer songs. Anyway, she might be going to space sometime, and that sounds scary to me. What if something terrible happens? I have no desire to go to space even if I could afford it. I think this time I might be able to convince my sister to go. I mentioned it to her briefly, and so far I think I may be able to convince her. My sister likes Time to Say Goodbye and loves the song Scarborough Fair (because of Hayley, of course ), and in watching the concert videos I know that Sarah has been singing those songs on tour recently. So I think if I tell her that she's singing those songs, and remind her of the fact that we have no other exciting things to go to so far this year, and that it's during the summer when she has fewer things to keep her busy, I think I just may be able to get her to go with me! One thing she's worried about is how much it costs. So I told her I could pay for all of it because I really want to go, but then she hesitates about that, too. She's so difficult sometimes! LOL |
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Post by Libby on Jun 26, 2014 1:51:28 GMT
I've always liked Sarah Brightman, but I never actually had bought anything of hers until recently, after I saw an announcement for additional US tour dates this summer. I've been hoping to see her in concert someday, and so upon seeing this, I really wanted to go. So ever since I've been listening/watching her stuff on youtube almost every day. So far I've only downloaded 3 songs, bought her Dreamchaser DVD (from CD Japan, along with Hayley's recent Japanese album, no less!), and a compilation album called Classics. Now I want her album Luna and Eden, plus the coinciding live DVDs. I've watched the entirety of both live shows on youtube, and I really enjoyed them. I will probably buy the Dreamchaser CD at some point too. I'm trying to wait for my 15% off coupon codes from Barnes & Noble. But I just used one for that Classics CD, so now I have to wait who knows how long for the next one! Funny how when you have nothing in mind to order, you get discount codes every other week. Then when you actually want something, they come few and far between. LOL
However, after all of that, I see a refund on my credit card account! And upon more searching, I see that the summer US tour has been cancelled! I'm so disappointed! But I'm hoping that it will be rescheduled. Sarah put out a statement that she has suffered a hairline fracture to her ankle, and has to rest it until September. So, I'm HOPING that once it's better, she'll be able to tour again. I don't want her to go to space before I get to see her in concert! And I just hope that any rescheduled tour will be at a convenient time.
Oh well, I have to remain positive. I'm not giving up on my hopes of seeing Sarah Brightman yet. I just wish I'd tried long before this. She was in Seattle just last fall, but I didn't try to get my sister to go because it was right around the time of the Josh Groban concert, and I didn't think she'd want to go. Of course now that I convince her and get the days off approved, it gets cancelled. But, as I say, I won't give up hope yet. I was afraid it was because it wasn't selling well enough to go on with the tour.
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Post by martindn on Jun 26, 2014 18:28:00 GMT
Yes, I like her too - sad to hear she has injured herself and can't tour. I have several of her albums, my favourite is probably La Luna (the one with Scarborough Fair). Even though I feel that she tends to hide behind the backing a bit, and her control is nowhere near as good as Hayley's, and has less power, I still enjoy listening to her albums.
Martin D
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Post by Libby on Jun 26, 2014 20:34:08 GMT
Her power is in the mere sound of her voice, which I think sounds seductive. And as far as arias go, she has more power than Hayley, even if in general we like the way Hayley's voice sounds a little better (O Mio Babbino Caro and Lascia are good examples). Yet even Sarah gets criticism from the opera purists. And call me disloyal, but I think the more ethereal, mysterious way Sarah sings Scarborough Fair, and the dramatic arrangement of the music is much more interesting than Hayley's, power aside. However, I'll always love the perfect way she sings the "...between the salt water and the sea strand..." part best.  |
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Post by comet on Jun 27, 2014 7:41:31 GMT
 you have made me go back to the first song I ever heard Sarah Brightman sing : Sarah Brightman & Hot Gossip - I lost my heart to a starship trooper You can find it on Yo-Chube That was back in 1978.. bought it as a 7 inch vinyl single when it was in the charts. I was impressed with the clarity of her voice and her clear diction. Hard to believe Sarah was only 18 years old then ... Tempus fugit really fast
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Post by martindn on Jun 27, 2014 21:12:43 GMT
Her power is in the mere sound of her voice, which I think sounds seductive. And as far as arias go, she has more power than Hayley, even if in general we like the way Hayley's voice sounds a little better (O Mio Babbino Caro and Lascia are good examples). Yet even Sarah gets criticism from the opera purists. And call me disloyal, but I think the more ethereal, mysterious way Sarah sings Scarborough Fair, and the dramatic arrangement of the music is much more interesting than Hayley's, power aside. However, I'll always love the perfect way she sings the "...between the salt water and the sea strand..." part best. By power I mean her ability to belt it out. I have never heard her get even close to Hayley at that. And yes, seductive has always been Sarah's way, and it has a certain appeal. But I also feel she doesn't hit the notes as precisely or solidly as Hayley, so it seems Hayley has better control. Play the two versions one after the other, and I think you will hear what I mean. Given that, Sarah I think has the more interesting and original arrangement. Martin D |
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Post by Libby on Jun 29, 2014 3:54:55 GMT
I know what you meant, Martin, but I was just trying to point out that different artists have power in different aspects of their music. The power to draw you in is what I meant. However, going back to vocal power, listen to Sarah's arias, and while I agree that some notes are not hit as precisely as Hayley might do, for the most part she does have more power than Hayley at least used to. I like the way Hayley sounds in O Mio Babbino Caro better than Sarah, because I'm not keen on opera as a whole. But Sarah at least has a deeper tone and sings from deeper within herself (if that makes any sense). She's more operatic and dramatic. However, I think a voice like Hayley's is more accurate to the story the song is telling; a young woman pleading with her father over some man. Hayley's voice sounds (and is) younger and more like she's pining away than all the other divas with the deeper tones. Time to Say Goodbye is another example. I love Sarah Brightman singing it, but that last note on "Io con...TE!!!" Sarah puts audible effort into it, making one sylllable almost sound like 2. But Hayley hits it absolutely spot on, crystal clear. But that's always been the extra special thing with Hayley; her perfect pitch and seeming effortlessness to her singing. All singers have their strengths and weaknesses, weaknesses where other singers are stronger, strengths where other artists are weaker. It doesn't mean one is better than the other. It just means we have more than one artist to choose from out there. And all this is another reason why I desire more variety (and originality) from Hayley, so that she's not compared to other singers quite so much. Sarah has plenty of her own unique songs out there that are more of the light pop category, and I like those best. However, I've decided Sarah's Nessun Dorma is my favorite. And I think the best version of herself I've heard her do is actually on her latest DVD, Dreamchaser. I thought with her being older and all, it would be harder for her to hit the notes, but to me she sounded better than all the other performances I've heard at this point. And that makes me all the more disappointed that I can't go to her concert... yet. It seems that she has some concerts in Europe in the fall, so a US tour is probably out until early next year, if at all. And since her Europe concerts include Russia, I almost wonder if the original plan was to end in Russia, before she jets off around planet earth for 10 days!  |
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Joe
Administrator
Supporting Hayley since 2003!
Posts: 6,715 
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Post by Joe on Feb 25, 2015 5:05:48 GMT
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Post by Libby on Feb 25, 2015 6:38:48 GMT
Thanks for that update. I recently saw that she wasn't going till October, and previously I had read this spring. So now I don't know anymore.  |
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Joe
Administrator
Supporting Hayley since 2003!
Posts: 6,715
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Post by Joe on May 17, 2015 4:52:53 GMT
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Post by Libby on May 17, 2015 5:44:57 GMT
Thanks for the update, Joe. |
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