The most amazing (Italian) tenor I've ever heard
Veggiechiliqueen | 03/25/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'd seen "Alessandro Safina" in record stores several times, and finally picked up a copy out of curiosity. I'd never heard of Alessandro before, but now I realize what I've been missing out on! Safina (from Siena, Italy) has a fantastically powerful, sensual tenor voice that puts many contemporary classical crossover tenors (Andrea Bocelli, Russell Watson, Josh Groban) to shame. Safina's voice is in a league of its own. The opening track "Music of the Night" features a Latin guitar, choir, and a percussion-enhanced finale that breathe new life into an old favourite. On "Music of the Night" Safina's voice becomes a gentle, crooning plea--I was nearly left in tears, for Safina clearly outshone all the performances of "Phantom" I'd ever seen in Toronto (five) *and* all of the cast recordings. If they ever make that "Phantom of the Opera" movie based on Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, they should cast Alessandro Safina instead of Antonio Banderas--he's beautiful (he's been dubbed "the singing George Clooney" for his resemblance to a certain American actor) and he has the voice of an angel! His voice can be darkly sensual, rough velvet, evident on "Luna (Only You)," an amazing piece that opens with a sultry jazz (female) solo that dissolves into Safina's commanding tenor. It is the most electronic/dancelike of the fourteen songs on "Safina," with a pronounced drumbeat. Gorgeous background piano accompaniment and sweeping strings cradle Safina's voice without overpowering. A background choir chants near the end of the song, which blends Safina's and the female soloist's voice along with piano notes that trail off into silence."La Sete di Vivere" is a slower, gentler song, again accompanied by piano, strings and synth. "Aria e memoria" begins with a melancholy wavelike rhythm, building into a gently affirmative chorus. "Siena" is an ode to his hometown, sung in the softest of seductive whispers that becomes a full-voiced declaration. "Il Mirto E la Rosa" opens with a sultry flamenco guitar solo that shimmers in the moonlight, until the piano softly creeps in and the sonic tension builds with the addition of a synth backbeat, until the chorus erupts into a passionate whirl of sounds and colour."'Stu Bbene" is tinged with flamenco flavour and awash in gentle strings and piano. Safina sings as if his voice is a fragile glass bauble here, so delicately until he reaches the chorus that we are once again surprised and thrilled when he unleashes the full power of his tenor voice. That is his general attack mode with most of the songs here, and it works. Soft, crooned intros melt into full voice, sometimes taking us by (breathless) surprise.The two instrumental "Ehyeh" and "Diva Mea" are very interesting additions. "Ehyeh" is actually the background instrumentals to "Il Mirto E La Rosa" and "Diva Mea" is the backing track to "Luna" complete with female vocalist and choir. Very uplifting tracks that sound like film music and are beautiful even without the vocals, "Ehyeh" in particular as the flamenco guitar really shines as a solo. Finally "Aria e Memoria--We'll Be Together" is a duet with Chrissie Hynde. It is the same song as "Aria E Memoria" from earlier in the album, this time as an English-Italian duet with Chrissie's voice in the foreground. Very powerful and effective.Alessandro has also released a Spanish version of this album, "Junto a ti" and performed backing vocals on a song from the "Moulin Rouge" soundtrack, "Your Song" with Ewan McGregor. Try to catch his PBS Great Performances special that was filmed on location in Italy, "Alessandro Safina in Concert: Only You." As far as I know it is not available on video or DVD. My only wish is that I'd picked up this CD sooner--I had no idea what I was missing out on! Move over Bocelli, this is the *real* operatic/pop tenor of Italy!"
The Best Album
rosemyrtle | silver spring, maryland USA | 03/19/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"There are other singers who sang beautifully before Alessandro Safina but no one ever had sung so powerful and wonderfully like
Mr. Safina did in this album and all of his songs are just breathtaking. I always thought he is the best ever since I heard his voice for the first time and his interpretation of "Music of the Night" in this album convinced me more so.
So, please go out to get this album whether you love classics, pops, or rock n roll. This is a treasure that you'd keep for a very long time!!!"
Look Out Pavarotti!
Everett | Dumfries, VA United States | 08/29/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If there's a better tenor alive, I've not heard him. The experience of listening to Saffina must be what it was like for those who first heard Enrico Caruso. Powerful, passionate, and commanding: Alessandro Saffina sweeps the listener away."
Track Listings (16) - Disc #1
