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| Osvaldo Golijov: Oceana | 
 enlarge | Creators: Osvaldo Golijov, Robert Spano, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra And Chorus, Jay Anderson, John Dearman, Scott Tennant, Elizabeth Remy Johnson, Jamey Haddad, Dawn Upshaw, Luciana Souza
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Category: Music
List Price: $16.98
Buy New: $8.90
You Save: $8.08 (48%)
Buy New/Used from $8.90
Avg. Customer Rating:  (13 reviews)
Sales Rank: 3605
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 000906902
UPC: 028947764267
EAN: 0028947764267
ASIN: B000PDZQS8
Release Date: July 10, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 11-13 of 13 | | « PREV | | |
 By Ayre and by water August 26, 2007
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
I was just getting over Golijov's last release, "Ayre", when I discovered this offering on Amazon. I don't know much about music technically, so this review may seem non-musical. I was struck by the contrasts in...temperature between "Ayre" and "Oceana". Ayre has "hot" and "close" qualities, evoking kinetic exchanges between people and cultures in a part of the world where Spain and Africa meet, and where Christianity, Islam, and Judaism converge and coexist. Oceana's atmosphere is big and cool. There is a sense of great space, but also a sense of deep intimacy. Golijov gives substance to the world that Pablo Neruda creates in words for himself and for his love. The arrangements flow easily between a small guitar/percussion ensemble flanking Luciana Souza's dusky voice and big, swirling passages for orchestra and chorus. This music is meant to wake up the soul. Mine is having breakfast. "Tenebrae", for string quartet, is almost jarringly gentle and stately at times, in contrast to the preceding piece. I would recommend listening to the piece on its own. "Three Songs" brings back Dawn Upshaw. You'd think she wouldn't have anything left after Ayre, but she has plenty. Golijov's music has coaxed sounds and emotions from this soprano that sometimes deceive me into thinking that she is a completely different entity. Again, this piece is very different from the preceding two and should be appreciated on its own. Listen to it in the car when you're driving into a drab, depressing underground parking structure. Trust me.
In a word: beautiful August 18, 2007
22 out of 23 found this review helpful
What amazes me when I listen to this disc--as I've probably done half a dozen times this week--is how much trouble I've had finding the words to describe it accurately.
Part of the "problem"--and it is clearly mine, not the music's--is that the music is simultaneously utterly different from anything I've listened to, and yet reminiscent of so many composers--just to name a few, I was reminded of John Adams' "Harmonium" and Heitor Villa-Lobos' "Bachianas Brasileiras" in "Oceana", Bach and Verdi in "Tenebrae," and Bernstein and Gershwin in "Three Songs."
And, of course, it is not possible to discuss this CD without talking about Golijov's two muses--Luciana Souza in "Oceana," and Dawn Upshaw in "Three Songs." I don't think I can even imagine anyone else performing either of these works nearly as well as these two women do. And, like so many of their other recordings, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (and Chorus, for "Oceana") perform admirably.
In fact, I can think of only one "negative" about this CD at all, and that is the remarkably high pickup on the recording. At just half-volume on my speakers, the climaxes of "Oceana" were almost overpowering; I can only imagine what it would be like at full volume in a live performance.
If you're already a fan of Golijov, you should need no further persuasion from me to buy this CD. If you're not, this CD is likely to make you a convert--as it did with me.
Meditative Moods, Profound Passions August 15, 2007
15 out of 18 found this review helpful
These three pieces of Golijov are important works. The compilation is united by a solemnity and cognition of transience, of memories, of life; the ever changing sea conveying fleeting travelers, the pain and loss of the diaspora and holocaust of Jew and Roma, the arrival and loss of our dreams and our pains, the condition of our small planet in a vast cosmos. The middle piece, wonderfully performed by the Kronos Quartet, for me it the gem of the CD, so tightly composed, each note to the mystical point. Upshaw brings an ethereal quality to the songs, providing tension and its sweet release. Oceana, the first work, has its passionate Latin textures by word and instrument, which brings new discoveries with each listening. While I would prefer an anthology with greater diversity of mood, this CD is rich in sonic treasure.
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