Sarah Brightman: The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection
by Brian J Hay
Sarah Brightman is generally at her best when she sings songs written by Andrew Lloyd Webber. This release of her singing Webber's songs isn't without flaws but more of the fault lies with the material with what she does with it. This isn't meant as a slur against Webber's work either. Artists all have their share of hits and misses and Webber is no exception. Brightman covers some of his best work here but (unfortunately) she covers some of the rest too.
The first four songs on the disc are lovely to the point where they stand with the best material from any genre. "The Phantom of the Opera" is (by now) rightly one of the more familiar pieces of music in existence. Even twenty years in the hands of a media that's tried to wear it hasn't stifled its freshness. Brightman follows it with lovely deliveries of "Unexpected Song" and "Chanson D'Enfance". the former allows her to soar to the very top of her register without straining or becoming shrill while the latter draws the best from her delicious mid-range. This is like the feel of fine silk gliding across skin. Her partner on "All I Ask of You" (this time around) is Cliff Richard. His voice is a bit flat alongside hers at times (like a pancake involved in a duet with a soufflé) but in the end the song wins the day. These two harmonize exceptionally well on some beautiful passages of music. It's impossible not to be touched by it.
Many of the other pieces included adhere to the same high standard. "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" is perfectly suited to Brightman's voice. She caresses some of the passages like a lover and penetrates others like a heated crystal lance shearing through butter. This is as close as music ever comes to combining pure sexuality with a sense of naive innocence. "Memory", in either of its forms is a lovely piece. The English version is performed here and Brightman gives it the loving touch it deserves. Her duet with Sir John Gielgud (he talks—she sings), Gus: The Theatre Cat, is a wonderful character piece delivered with all the warmth and affection due both the material and the talents of the performers involved. Gielgud became a legend during his lifetime and this shows why. The musical passages (particularly the verses in the middle of the song) serve as a reminder of how well Sarah Brightman handles theatrical pieces. This number could well be a gesture of respect to each other as much as their rendition is to the song.
"Tell Me On a Sunday" is a ravishingly beautiful song and Brightman's voice is up to the task of doing it justice. The vocal acrobatics required force her voice to its limits at times but she's always in complete control of her voice. Webber's production is "extra-lush” on this one but never to the point of drowning the music (or her). The set closes with three of his most beautiful pieces. "Pie Jesu" gets a gentle treatment that's filled with reverence for both the material and the subject matter. "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" is one of her "signature songs". This song and "The Music of the Night" will always (not unjustly) be associated with her. She always "owned the former and while Michael Crawford may have been the first to sing the latter she now pulls emotional depth from this song that he and others can only dream of finding. Nothing more can be said.
There are weak points on the disc. "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" has some strong passages but never feels concise. The duet with (José) Carreras is a disappointment. As a rule this man's work is something to be cherished but his singing on "Amigos Para Siempre" sounds forced. It's as if he was trying for an effect that he didn't believe in himself. "Love Changes Everything" which would be good if it had another line or two of music in it. As things stand the same verses are sung repeatedly with extra layers of instrumentation added for variety. "Anything But Lonely" is a beautiful song but it's over produced (imagine swimming in a vat of maple syrup) to the point of wallowing in its own orchestration. At times Brightman has to bellow to be heard. "Macavity: the Mystery Cat is a jazzy little number that improves with repeated listening. The arrangement (which hearkens to the big band era) packs a good punch but Sarah's performance falls short. This material needs a crooner willing to "belt it out". She succeeds at times but there are moments when the material demands a more gutsy roar than she's willing (or perhaps able) to give.
This set is a good value though. The recorded sound is excellent. The weaker material on the disc is by no means bad. The strongest material included is excellent. Eight of the numbers are so good they're phenomenal. Even at her weakest moment Brightman still sounds pretty good. At her best (which is on almost all of the set) she's virtually untouchable. The marriage between her and Webber may have been less perfect but their musical match-up is a different matter.
That one was made in heaven.
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Singer Sarah Brightman
Photo from the Artist's Site
Photo by Simon Fowler
Sarah Brightman:
Official Site
Andrew Lloyd Webber:
Official Site
Andrew Lloyd Webber:
Wikipedia Information
