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Post by neilgbarclay on Apr 9, 2010 10:16:38 GMT
Having heard Westenra sing Puccini in Italian (Gianni Schicchi), I would like to see her come out with an album including all of Cio-Cio San's solo arias from Madame Butterfly, in Italian. Her voice, sans vibrato, is well-suited for this material, whereas other operas would not be her métier.
Another composer that comes to mind is Rossini. I think she'd find most of his soprano arias well-suited to her straight, clear tone.
Meanwhile, simply as an aside, could I get a correct spelling of my signature? It is not Barclat, but Barclay.
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Post by Richard on Apr 9, 2010 13:25:40 GMT
Hello Neil!  I've corrected your signature, but you could have done it yourself by clicking on the 'PROFILE' button at the top of the page. Best Wishes, Richard  |
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Post by Libby on Apr 10, 2010 3:52:03 GMT
I don't know any of Rossini's arias. Which ones do you think would be good for Hayley to sing? I don't many arias at all except the ones Hayley, Sarah Brightman, etc. have sung. I'm not very knowledgeable about classical music or operas otherwise.
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Post by neilgbarclay on May 17, 2010 10:16:22 GMT
Hello Libby,
I apologize for the delay in answering your question, but I just didn't see it until now.
I'm not one for remembering the title of arias, but I've seen a lot of operas (I once lived in San Francisco).
Well, there are soprano arias in Rossini's comic operas. I would mention just a few: The Barber of Seville; La Cenerentola (Cinderalla); L'italiana in Algeri; l Turco in Italia; Semiramide.
Even his serious compositions (nine in all) offer opportunities: Ricciardo e Zoraide and Otello are just two.
Hayley could also find treasures in a lot of Mozart. (Marriage of Figaro and Così fan tutti come to mind; or, how about the Queen of the Night aria from The Magic Flute!)
Either composer would be a superb test of her vocal talent - real pyrotechnics involved. She might have to find a partner for some of the Rossini stuff.
What she needs to do is get away from idiocy such as Wuthering Heights. A lot of her other choices are beautiful, but they certainly lack any challenge.
On the other hand, she certainly isn't suited for "Casta Diva" from Belinni's Norma.
ngb
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Post by stevemacdonald on May 17, 2010 18:02:02 GMT
...What she needs to do is get away from idiocy such as Wuthering Heights.... Now now. A lot of us adore Hayley's rendition of this delightful song. To me the only idiocy she really needs to stay away from is Italian songs done in English and vice versa. |
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Post by Sandy Wilderness Girl on May 18, 2010 2:18:23 GMT
...What she needs to do is get away from idiocy such as Wuthering Heights.... Now now. A lot of us adore Hayley's rendition of this delightful song. To me the only idiocy she really needs to stay away from is Italian songs done in English and vice versa. OMG...hey have to agree with u Steve hey...I LOVE Hayley's rendition of Wuthering Heights hey...I love it heaps big time hey..... ...I know Kate's fans were a little put out about it hey.....BUT ya get that hey.....  ...GO HAYLEY .....  Sandy xxx |
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Post by neilgbarclay on May 18, 2010 4:51:45 GMT
Wuthering Heights is musically without merit. Demonstrate otherwise, folks. As for her singing opera songs in English, there I agree with Sandyn.
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Post by Libby on May 18, 2010 6:06:24 GMT
Nothing Hayley does is idiocy. Hayley chooses songs she likes, and this was one of them. Decca wasn't sure about letting her put this on the album, but it turned out to be a huge success with it on it. I certainly wouldn't say the song isn't challenging; the song is full of high notes. That can't be easy!
Hayley will sing what she wants; she can't please everybody, but she usually does please most of us.
It's one thing to say you don't like the song, but to call a song Hayley chose "idiocy" is awfully rude.
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Post by comet on May 18, 2010 11:11:12 GMT
What she needs to do is get away from idiocy such as Wuthering Heights. A lot of her other choices are beautiful, but they certainly lack any challenge. On the other hand, she certainly isn't suited for "Casta Diva" from Belinni's Norma. ngb It would seem many of us here on HWI have very different tastes in music. We all like to think we have "Good Taste" but you can be sure whatever you like, someone else hates with a vengeance, and whatever music you dislike, someone else thinks it is the best music in the world.. as for Casta Diva, it is well within Hayley's capability.. now you have me humming it, must get a copy of it out, It's the only way to get it out of my head Nana Mouskouri perhaps ? or do you have a recommendation ? |
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Post by Sandy Wilderness Girl on May 18, 2010 12:55:22 GMT
Wuthering Heights is musically without merit. Demonstrate otherwise, folks. As for her singing opera songs in English, there I agree with Sandyn. Ummm i think I should point out hey...when I said i agree with Steve hey...i meant that I love Wuthering heights hey...LOL...not the bit about the italian songs lol....Hayley could sing ANYTHING beautifully hey... Sandynxxx |
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Post by grant on May 18, 2010 14:22:44 GMT
Hi Sandy and everyone Ummm i think I should point out hey...when I said i agree with Steve hey...i meant that I love Wuthering heights hey...LOL...not the bit about the italian songs lol....Hayley could sing ANYTHING beautifully hey...
Sandynxxx Aha!! Thought you had been miss quoted - I waited years to hear Hayley sing Wuthering Heights live but it was well worth the wait. I also love Hayley's English version of "One Fine Day" and was privileged to be in the audience when Hayley sang that live for the first time. As you say Sandy, Hayley could sing anything and a true fan would enjoy it i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gifBest wishes Grant |
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Post by Elliot Kane on May 18, 2010 16:18:47 GMT
Neil...
I can't say I was ever a fan of Kate Bush (Never liked anything she did at all, frankly), but to describe Wuthering Heights as being 'musically without merit' is totally incorrect. And as a matter of fact, I CAN prove it.
The purpose of music - ALL music, sung or otherwise - is to reach out to the audience and forge a connection with them. Most often that connection is emotional, though it can also be intellectual or functional (As with music intended to be danced to more than listened to - and insert your own favourite dance, here). Most of all, therefore, music is about communication.
Music with merit, therefore, is music that reaches out to and communicates with its audience, because it is performing the true and proper function of music. The size of that audience is unimportant, please note, and it does not have to specifically include you, or me, or anyone else.
Many millions of people connected to the music of Kate Bush on an emotional level. Her attempt to communicate through song was thus entirely successful, because she had an audience who connected to her songs. Wuthering Heights specifically is one of her most well known, popular and enduring songs.
Thus your contention that the song is 'without musical merit' is clearly untrue. The facts are all against you.
I do not doubt that Wuthering Heights spoke to Hayley, which is why she chose to record it. It's not a favourite of mine, but Hayley has a very broad fan base and many of her fans doubtless love it (I prefer 'Both Sides Now' of her Pop covers, finding the haunting wistfulness she gives the song very moving and vastly better than the original).
For Hayley to record anything that she likes and that reaches out to her fans is most definitely not 'idiocy'. Whether you or I would prefer one song over another; one genre or sub-genre to another, is completely irrelevant to the case. Tastes differ, and neither you nor I nor anyone else has 'better' taste than others - we are merely different. And there's nothing wrong with that at all.
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Post by mihizawi on May 18, 2010 17:45:26 GMT
Very well-said, Elliot... On another side, speaking in terms of technical difficulty (which is very less important than what Elliot stated when rating an artist or a song), although I think that classical, and even more, opera singing style, is way more challenging than any other style of singing, I also think that precisely Wuthering Heights would be between the most technically challenging pop songs you could imagine, with all those sudden high notes and expressive changes.
Michal
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Post by martindn on May 18, 2010 21:54:22 GMT
Well said Michal, and Elliot. I too think that Wuthering Heights is not an easy song to sing, it needs bags of range and good pitch control to sing those slightly off key notes correctly. Hayley does it brilliantly, and even though I has never a fan of the song, I can acknowledge that Hayley sings it very well, and I prefer her performance to Kate's. Live, Hayley makes it something special.
Martin D
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Post by Libby on May 19, 2010 6:23:16 GMT
While it's fine to suggest songs we might like Hayley to sing, we don't have any business telling her "what she needs to do". Hayley should just sing what she wants, and that's what she usually tries to do. And I'm never disappointed (with the exception of the omission of O Holy Night on Winter Magic).
Grant, when did Hayley ever sing "One Fine Day" live? I don't remember ever reading a concert review and seeing that song mentioned as one she sang.
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