Search - Giacomo Puccini, James Conlon, Ying Huang :: Madame Butterfly / Huang, Troxel, Cowan, Liang; Concon (1995) [Highlights]

5 stars for Ying Huang!

marcel195 | Victoria Australia | 09/07/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this album simply for Ying Huang. And I was not disappointed. It's such a pleasure to listen to her voice: a purity of tone, a slight whisper sometimes at the start of a phrase, another something that I can't describe that happens when a long phrase is ending - a new tone, one so beautiful it can only be heard for perhaps 8 seconds in 75 minutes of album. Ying Huang's voice is incredibly mature - not in an academic or learned sense, but innately so, as though this maturity had been with her all throughout her life. She knows exactly what she's doing, but knows intuitively. It seems a love of singing has combined with some genetic gifts, creating a singer so wonderful that sometimes I doubt whether we are actually allowed to hear her. But we can, in this and several other albums. If I had millions of dollars I would produce a Ying Huang album every 6 months. My conscience now asks if this is true - shouldn't I give it to those in need? "Perhaps", I answer, "But the world will truly be better off with more of Ying Huang". She is a missionary for the soul whose message is beautiful as well as believable.My only worry was that there was not enough Ying Huang on the album. The other singers and musicians are great. Only, I don't really know this. Compared with Ying Huang everybody else is reduced 10 fold. You only want to hear her, and when another part is sung you exclaim "No, what? why is that man shouting?!!". There is a nice duet somewhere in there though. I suppose the best way to sum this all up is with a quote from one fine reviewer (who is a lot more economical than I) It's a good album "especially for the Ying Huang...""