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Post by roger on Mar 31, 2006 21:17:11 GMT
Hi Gerrit, By my reckoning, you posted that a mere 43 minutes after the programme ended. That's phenominal. Is that why they call you the Flying Dutchman?  The sound quality is actually better than I heard on the radio - admittedly reception here isn't brilliant. So many thank, Gerrit. Roger |
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Dave
Administrator
HWI Admin
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Post by Dave on Mar 31, 2006 21:38:19 GMT
Hi guys, Unfortunately I had to go out for half an hour after the programme finished but i did that while the file was uploading so I didn't lose too much time. Here is my version, it's recorded from FM radio (which in my opinion gives better audio quality than standard digital broadcast radio) and encoded as a 192 kbps wma file. This *should be* as good as an itunes music download so please mention any problems I've missed. Hopefully the extra quality is worth the much bigger filesize of 23 MB. Length is 16m 46s including the programme intro, the four Hayley songs and the closing music. Including Amici would have made the file too big in my opinion so I'm pleased to see that Gerrit's included them  I thought Hayley's best song was Lascia ch'io Pianga and I thoroughy enjoyed it all - especially Lascia! Cheers, Dave |
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Post by stevemacdonald on Mar 31, 2006 21:43:13 GMT
It was all great, but the orchestra nearly drowned her out much of the time. Why do they need to smother such a lovely voice with so much overkill instrumentation? I'll never get it.
Wait! I think I have the answer!: The sound levels were obviously set beforehand to Amici's loud operatic voices (x4), not Hayley's delicate crossover voice. Not that that's any excuse.
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Post by postscript on Apr 1, 2006 7:31:51 GMT
It was all great, but the orchestra nearly drowned her out much of the time. Why do they need to smother such a lovely voice with so much overkill instrumentation? I'll never get it. Wait! I think I have the answer!: The sound levels were obviously set beforehand to Amici's loud operatic voices (x4), not Hayley's delicate crossover voice. Not that that's any excuse. You are quite right Steve it is NOT an excuse. You do not set sound levels fixed for an entire show. During rehearsal you do the same with sound as you do with lights, you note your levels for each scene and then adjust as each scene comes up. With sound, one setting for Hayley. One setting for Amici. One setting for lone orchestra. Having noted your settings you then fade in and out as the scene changes. It is a point I overlooked in my write up of the evening but it is a point I had noted at the time. If anything, Amici were overloud as well, so neither setting was in fact correct. This makes one wonder if they only set for the lone orchestra and never adjusted anything for anyone! Poor show indeed, BBC wallers. However, you raise the problem that has been debated elsewhere [but for different reasons], deriving from The Times review of St John's. in Smith's Square before Christmas. When Hayley has her own sound team in, not only do they have better equipment [arguable, I've never done a detailed comparison but my casual eye says so] but the performance is continually monitored. I'm not sure that inhouse systems are as good as Hayley's team and that they are monitored at all or if so by anyone sufficiently competent. This is all to do with 'use of site' contracts and the balance of whether we hear` Hayley at all or only when she has things exactly as she wants them. I think the concensus was, please let us have Hayley as often as possible, not with any exclusivity. Peter |
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Post by Richard on Apr 1, 2006 7:43:47 GMT
Hello everybody!  I listened to Hayley's performance on the radio at home last night, and she sounded absolutely stunning. One point that Peter missed was that Hayley sang her own arrangement of Handel's "Lascia Ch'io Pianga", and very good it was too. GFH would have been proud! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gifI thought I noticed a degree of maturity in Hayley's singing that I hadn't heard before, especially during "The Water Is Wide" and "Lascia Ch'io Pianga", but she sang all four songs beautifully. Now I'm definitely looking forward to the new UK edition of 'Odyssey'! I know Jenny will be reading this, so I must say Amici Forever were excellent too! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gifBest Wishes, Richard  |
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Post by postscript on Apr 1, 2006 8:04:41 GMT
Thank you Dave for your time effort and trouble. I am sure many who were not able to hear the broadcast will be grateful for your contribution.
You open a whole debate about clinical objectivity for recording pure sound and the subjectivity of each and every listener, through less than ideal hi-fidelity equipment in the main and who also is often simply content to hear the song and the singer.
This is why I countered my observation with the fact I was not in the hall for which absence I am still fuming. I long to hear O mio babbino caro direct voice to ear. I just feel that she herself feels she has taken on a challenge and has mastered it. That, when she's on top form, it will be in her repertoire, usually at the beginning as it is demanding of her, then, as the voice continues maturing, she will place it at the end of a concert when she will really let rip with a crescendo of a finale.
But, criticising my own criticism, there are many emotional renditions of the aria. Is it not time for; is there not a place for; and would that not be the way for; Hayley to place her rendition in the world repertoire of recordings, as a less emotional, more articulate rendition, where the notes alone tell the song?
Peter
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Post by postscript on Apr 1, 2006 8:15:20 GMT
Thank you for that Richard. I KNEW there was something different and I loved it. She was at her most fulsome mefluity (is there such a word?) and the whole of that song sounded like a gently flowing stream, her voice floating like a cloud of gossamer evoking images of a drifting boat, anda girl trailing her hand in the water, or, as I have been a part of, an open-air performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream of fairies flitting through a silvan glade.
It was a superb rendition, superb arrangement and totally suited to her voice.
Well done Hayley. It is a superb arrangement.
Peter
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Post by postscript on Apr 1, 2006 9:24:20 GMT
In picking up Richard's earlier point I overlooked his second one. Yes, my discourse on O mio hid my observation on this. The selection of that song is itself a statement of growing confidence and maturing voice. I recall the time I first met her [oh, yes, I suppose its time I tackled that stage of 'What Hayley Means to Me'!] I remember babbling at her (it was some three months after hearing her live for the first time at 'The London Palladium') that I felt I detected a maturing in her voice in just those three months and that she had advanced in her singing.
I'm still perplexed by the tone of her reply. Probably because it was actually completely neutral, but i still can't define it. Its been in my head ever since. 'Oh good. I am improving then!'
Again, we are three months on. I look back and realise how much Hayley has done in that time. I look back and realise how little i have.
Peter
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Post by roger on Apr 1, 2006 9:53:17 GMT
She was at her most fulsome mefluity (is there such a word?)... Peter No, there isn't! I think you meant "mellifluousness". OMG, what a word. I think I prefered yours! Roger |
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specialjenny
Junior Member 
Hayley Westenra International Australian Correspondent
Posts: 75
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Post by specialjenny on Apr 1, 2006 12:01:47 GMT
Awww THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!
Thank you Gerrit and Dave for sharing your recordings with us! Now we can treasure the wonderful program forever! It is funny listening to the program because Hayley (who is not operatically trained) sang 2 opera arias, and Amici who are chose not to. hehe
Anyway! I was so impressed with Hayley's Lascio.. it seems like Hayley really is exploring different fields of music, and I enjoyed The water is wide as well, Hayley's voice is like water! So pure, so clean (well assuming the water is clean!!). And thank you Hayley by ending the program with Ave Maria, one of my fav. tracks from Odyssey.
And THANK YOU Gerrit for including Amici's performances too. Was definitely interesting to hear their new line up. Oh and the Rachmaninov's piece is called "Nostalgia". I miss Nick and Geoff's voice. No offence to Bruno because I bet it is difficult for him too to live up to the expectations. But I guess they just need a bit more time to blend and create the chemistry.
Happy listening eveyone!
Love,
Jenny
Hayley sounded so wonderful, as usual, and
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specialjenny
Junior Member
Hayley Westenra International Australian Correspondent
Posts: 75
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Post by specialjenny on Apr 1, 2006 12:04:22 GMT
Thank you for that Richard. I KNEW there was something different and I loved it. She was at her most fulsome mefluity (is there such a word?) and the whole of that song sounded like a gently flowing stream, her voice floating like a cloud of gossamer evoking images of a drifting boat, anda girl trailing her hand in the water, or, as I have been a part of, an open-air performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream of fairies flitting through a silvan glade. It was a superb rendition, superb arrangement and totally suited to her voice. Well done Hayley. It is a superb arrangement. Peter Can't agree more!!! That aria was the star of the program! Well that's what I think anyway!! Have a good weekend all! And hope you aren't getting fooled by anyone today!  Love, Jenny |
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Post by gareth on Apr 1, 2006 13:06:25 GMT
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Steve H
Global Moderator
HWI Management Team / Official Site Photographer & Videographer
Posts: 1,756
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Post by Steve H on Apr 1, 2006 15:08:45 GMT
Thanks Gerrit, I missed them last night so I really appreciated getting to listen to them this afternoon! What would we do without our resource partner from Holland! Three cheers for Gerrit ....... hip hip ..... hip hip ........ hip hip .............. Steve H |
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Post by alien on Apr 1, 2006 23:59:05 GMT
Thanks Gerrit and Dave! What a beautiful concert it was! Interesting to hear Hayley performing "The Water is Wide" and Lascia live. Her voice matured a lot since the release of the "original" Odyssey and she's certainly having a good time exploring different style of music. Amici's performance was wondering as well, very good choice of music too! The quality of the FM radio recording is excellent. They must have a different standard in UK, the radio stations here, classical ones especially, tend to be fairly noisy and muffled  Thanks again for bring me the light on a depressing rainy Saturday afternoon in Vancouver  Allen |
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specialjenny
Junior Member
Hayley Westenra International Australian Correspondent
Posts: 75
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Post by specialjenny on Apr 5, 2006 10:19:40 GMT
Oh and since we are on the topic of "Hayley and Amici" just thought I would share something with you all.
I once asked David (tenor from Amici) what Hayley is like and his reply is:
"Met Hayley a few times at various gigs and things. Yes, she has always been very friendly and easy to talk to and down to earth. Nice girl!
xx"
Yay! hehe
Love,
Jenny
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But if you are not an audio "techie" DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK it will bore you to distraction!!!
