Search - Purcell, Deller, Kruijken :: Music for a While: 40th Edition

A personal favorite

12/31/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This little gem is full of old favorites(If music be the food of love) and never recorded before Purcell tunes (O solitude). They range from the joyous to the deeply tragic. Deller, the best countertenor in the business, sounds great as usual. Purcell never ceases to amaze, setting seemingly trite little poems into beautiful lyrics. There is a temptation to dismiss Purcell as simple and unexciting, but if you look closly there is much genius at work 'O Solitude' is the last track and also the best. However 'Thrice happy lovers' would make a great song to have at one's wedding. My only 'plaint' is that lyrics were not included. Though Deller usually makes up for it with his remarkable diction. Buy and Enjoy."

Past his best

10/20/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This recording was made at the very end of Aldred Deller's career, and you can tell. He still tries to create the vocal effects of his youth, but it all seems to take so much more effort. This is particularly noticeable with his trademark floated high notes, no more so than the "drop, drop" of music for a while where his previous vocal brilliance has deserted him. I recently heard a repeat of a radio interview with Alfred Deller when he said that every time he heard the opening bars to music for a while it was as though he was about to sing it for the first time. It was clearly a special piece for him, but the earlier recordings (such as the emi release) are far more representative of Deller at his interpretative best, being able to do full justice to that statement"