Notes and Editorial Reviews
Amici Forever is made up of five camera-ready young singers with talent and charisma to spare. So what distinguishes them from the burgeoning ranks of crossover hopefuls? The group's wide vocal range and imaginative approach enables it to transform even a much-abused warhorses into fresh-sounding anthems. Their formal training provides the necessary technique and understanding to do justice to the classics, and the enthusiasm and respect they show for their material steers them far clear of the banality that mars a good deal of crossover music.
DEFINED picks up where the quintet's enormously successful debut disc, OPERA BAND, left off, with more stylish arrangements of memorable melodies from the orchestral repertoire, as well as
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soaring, quasi-operatic ballads. Highlights include impressive vocal renditions of themes from Beethoven's Seventh Symphony ("Land and Freedom"), Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto ("Nostalgia"), Khachaturian's 'Spartacus' ("Ocean Heart"), and Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez ("Aranjuez Ma pensee"). The group also works its magic on two original songs by Ronan Hardiman, "So Far Away" and "La Fiamma Sacra," as well as Ennio Moriccone's "Nella Fantasia" and the classic Neapolitan song "Core 'ngrato." Amici Forever expertly delivers another guaranteed crowd-pleaser with DEFINED. Read less
Works on This Recording
1.
La fiamma sacra by Ronan Hardiman
Performer:
Geoff Sewell (Tenor),
Nicholas Garrett (Bass Baritone),
Jo Appleby (Soprano),
David Habbin (Tenor),
Tsakane Valentine (Soprano)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Amici Forever
Period: 20th Century
Venue: Shine Studios, England
Language: Italian
2.
The Mission: Nella fantasia (In my dreams) by Ennio Morricone
Performer:
Geoff Sewell (Tenor),
David Habbin (Tenor),
Jo Appleby (Soprano),
Nicholas Garrett (Bass Baritone),
Tsakane Valentine (Soprano)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Amici Forever
Period: Modern
Written: 1986
Venue: Shine Studios, England
Language: Italian
3.
Aranjuez ma pensée by Joaquin Rodrigo
Performer:
Nicholas Garrett (Bass Baritone),
Tsakane Valentine (Soprano),
Jo Appleby (Soprano),
Geoff Sewell (Tenor),
David Habbin (Tenor)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Amici Forever
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1968
Venue: Shine Studios, England
4.
So Far Away by Ronan Hardiman
Performer:
Nicholas Garrett (Bass Baritone),
Tsakane Valentine (Soprano),
Geoff Sewell (Tenor),
Jo Appleby (Soprano),
David Habbin (Tenor)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Amici Forever
Period: 20th Century
Venue: Shine Studios, England
Language: Italian
5.
Core 'ngrato by Salvatore Cardillo
Performer:
Nicholas Garrett (Bass Baritone),
Tsakane Valentine (Soprano),
David Habbin (Tenor),
Geoff Sewell (Tenor),
Jo Appleby (Soprano)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Amici Forever
Period: Romantic
Written: 1911; Italy
Language: Italian
6.
Samson et Dalila, Op. 47: Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix by Camille Saint-Saëns
Performer:
Nicholas Garrett (Bass Baritone),
Tsakane Valentine (Soprano),
Jo Appleby (Soprano),
David Habbin (Tenor),
Geoff Sewell (Tenor)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Amici Forever
Period: Romantic
Written: 1877; France
Venue: Shine Studios, England
Language: French
7.
Tosca: Recondita armonia by Giacomo Puccini
Performer:
David Habbin (Tenor),
Tsakane Valentine (Soprano),
Jo Appleby (Soprano),
Geoff Sewell (Tenor),
Nicholas Garrett (Bass Baritone)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Amici Forever
Period: Romantic
Written: 1900; Italy
Venue: Shine Studios, England
Language: Italian
8.
Adagio for Organ and Strings in G minor by Tomaso Albinoni
Performer:
Jo Appleby (Soprano),
Geoff Sewell (Tenor),
David Habbin (Tenor),
Tsakane Valentine (Soprano),
Nicholas Garrett (Bass Baritone)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Amici Forever
Period: Baroque
Written: Venice, Italy
Venue: Shine Studios, England
Language: Italian
Notes: This work was reconstructed by Remo Giazotto in 1945 from a fragment by Albinoni.
9.
Nostalgia by Nick Patrick
Performer:
David Habbin (Tenor),
Nicholas Garrett (Bass Baritone),
Tsakane Valentine (Soprano),
Geoff Sewell (Tenor),
Jo Appleby (Soprano)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Amici Forever
Period: 20th Century
Venue: Shine Studios, England
Language: Italian
Notes: This piece is based on Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto no. 2.
10.
Oceano cuore by Aram Khachaturian
Performer:
Tsakane Valentine (Soprano),
Geoff Sewell (Tenor),
Jo Appleby (Soprano),
David Habbin (Tenor),
Nicholas Garrett (Bass Baritone)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Amici Forever
Period: 20th Century
Venue: Shine Studios, England
Language: Italian
Notes: This piece is an arrangement of Khachaturian's Adagio from ballet 'Spartacus' made by an arranger.
11.
The Prayer by David Foster
Performer:
David Habbin (Tenor),
Tsakane Valentine (Soprano),
Nicholas Garrett (Bass Baritone),
Jo Appleby (Soprano),
Geoff Sewell (Tenor)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Amici Forever
Period: 20th Century
Venue: Shine Studios, England
Language: Italian
12.
Terra e Liberta by Nick Patrick
Performer:
Jo Appleby (Soprano),
Tsakane Valentine (Soprano),
Geoff Sewell (Tenor),
Nicholas Garrett (Bass Baritone),
David Habbin (Tenor)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Amici Forever
Period: 20th Century
Venue: Shine Studios, England
Language: Italian
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