Search - Arielle Dombasle :: Liberta

Arielle and Crossover Opera.

Reviews No More | 06/14/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Let's face it; when I was looking for items by Arielle, I was looking for Lace or any other movie I might have seen her in. Much to my surprise, I came across cd's and, after much debate about the import prices (plus never having heard her sing a note), I broke down and purchased Liberta without hearing one song and seeing only one review.



Much in the vein of Josh Grobin, Opera Babes, and a hipper version of Charlotte Church's Enchantment, Arielle brings to life songs penned by Claude Morgan who--to me--seems to be akin to a cross between Jim Steinman and Andrew Lloyd Weber with a twist of Estefano. Arielle only contributed to co-writing chores on the opening track, "Cara Sposa," which is okay.



What is surprising is what a good voice and range she has; in fact, her technical acrobatics on "A Child is Born" are quite surprising and difficult to emulate! It sounds to me as if she has definitely had vocal training at some point in her life along with some of the other talents she possesses. Here we see her do songs in English, French, and Italian with equal capability amid electronic musical arrangements that seem to enhance her voice rather than drag it down or build it up too much.



Best tracks would be the spirited "Piangero," the aching longing of "Odysseus," seasonal "A Child is Born," "Liberta (more commonly known as "Lascia Chio Pianga"),"and my absolute favorite, "Vittoria," which is a joy to hear and lifts your mood instantly. It's also the best of her vocal performances on the album; she sounds like she's relaxed and really enjoying herself. What's not so good are the ghastly ariatic scales of "Rejoice" and the drab darkness of "Cold Song" which reminds me of somebody on an acid trip hitting the same piano key over and over as somebody sober listening gets a headache and tries not to scream.



Other problems: although her voice is quite surprisingly good for the genre, sometimes a closer listen will provoke you to cross your eyes at some of the weak moments as she occasionally loses her pitch. Also, certain songs seem to be on here, "Cold Song" most notably as if to say "I am a pretentious singing actress," which can be slightly disconcerting. All in all though, when in the mood, Arielle's Liberta is a good synth-pop opera disc, and it's nice to listen to when you're in the mood for "something else." Beside that, it's 20 times better than horrible Amici, "the opera band."



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