Libera - Luminosa
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Free Music Notes for Luminosa
Free Music Review: Enjoy Life More With Beautiful Music
Hit: 5 Stars
It is beyond me who could possibly rate this CD anything less than 5 stars (their hearing was probably damaged from years of listening to punk rock at extreme volumes). I am a young-male voice fanatic. I have heard many boychoirs of the world perform in person time and time again. I currently direct two of them myself. I'm not saying that these boys are the best pedagogically or even musically speaking, but the style of their delivery is simply unparalleled, and for that aspect of this group, alone, they deserve 5 stars. Everytime I play this CD I melt. Most Cds that I buy I listen to for a week straight, then it ends up on the shelf or in my glove compartment... Not these (libera and libera luminosa)! I probably listen to them at least once per week, and I bought them more than 5 months ago! I can't wait for the next one! This goes on my list of "the world must hear" albums. Go to their website. also, check out the "BCSD" -the Boy Choir & Soloist Directory.
If you happen to be a choir director or music teacher, DON'T HESITATE TO BUY THIS CD!! Their diction and vowel unification is as close to immaculate as I have heard! Listen to 'Semele' which happens to be their version of "wher'er you walk" by G.F.Handel. What a fantastic model for teaching young singers! Kids get into the electronic accompaniment that is reminiscent of the popular music they listen to all of the time, but these are boys who excercise in the beautiful voices that God has given them. They aren't trying to sing down low because it is more 'masculine' (music teachers know what I mean). Some of the songs are based on classical works of the past. This would make a great teaching tool for beginning a music history unit.
Overall, This CD is beyond my imagination. As I sit here right now, listening to it, I think back to when I bought it, and wonder how I would be different had I not found this awe-inspiring group of musicians. I would be a great deal less happy, and that's for sure.
Free Music Review: Luminous Indeed!
Hit: 5 Stars
I first heard this group coming through a friend's computer as a selection on the Spinner streaming audio service. Over the years, I've tended to pooh-pooh most New Age music as being Classical-extremely-lite. But Libera's sound and Prizeman's compositions/arrangements had me enchanted right from the outset. I bought the first album immediately and kept coming back to Amazon to see if they'd done another. Needless to say, I was overjoyed when Luminosa hit the market. It is every bit as lovely as the first. Unlike Dr. Coleman, I don't take issue with Prizeman for his reinterpretations of Saint-Saens, Debussy and Beethoven. In each case, Prizeman has combined the unique timbre of the boy "band" with the notes of the old masters to create something quite new and, to my mind, quite satisfying. And Coleman is also wrong, I believe, for claiming that the original composers would have been outraged at the new arrangements. Musical "recycling" of this nature is a long-standing tradition in the Classical Music "bizz". No less a compositional giant than JS Bach was a prodigious "borrower" of musical material from his own works or those of others -- often without attribution. Beethoven also was not above using -- and elevating -- melodies not of his own writing. And he certainly sanctioned arrangements of his orchestral works for piano, voice or chamber instruments -- one of the main ways a composer got themselves and their work broad recognition in the years before recording. So, Prizeman and Libera are only doing what others have done before -- and, I think doing it very well indeed. By the way, I've featured both these recordings on my Classical radio program, "Sunday Evening Songfest." Each time I do, I get a ton of calls from listeners who want to know "what the beautiful music is" ans where they can get it. And these folks are not the New Age airheads that Dr. Coleman imagines, but bona fide Classical Music lovers (experts in many cases) -- who know great music when they hear it. 'Nuff said!Free Music Review: CAN GOD SUE????
Hit: 5 Stars
How can a mere human being concieve such beauty? Maybe Robert Prizeman had some dead relative sneak a recorder into heaven and send him the tapes and now he is selling us bootleg copies of that tape called "Libera" and "Luminosa". He is lucky there are no lawyers in heaven because God would have a pretty strong case with these 2 albums as evidence.People for thousands of years have had to live out their whole lives only to hear such sounds when they finaly ascended into the after life (if they were good). I am greatful to be living in a time when such a work can be easily bought at the local music store. I will make sure to listen to these 2 albums for the rest of my life, just incase I don't get to heaven I will at least have it in my soul where ever I end up.
I have always listened to music with my heart and soul, and was overwhelmed when someone showed me these albums. The original composers would be astounded with what Robert Prizeman has with their original inspirations. If they would have had the resources and the technology in their time they would have attemtped to bring their music to this level.
Anyone who could listen to and not be touched, must have a 30 mile restraining order against their soul. The only way anyone could call it a "castration" would have to be talking from personal experience.
True I could not tell if someone was playing Vivaldi at 1/16 of a second too fast but that is not the point. The reason music exists is to talk to your heart in a way that cannot be expressed in words. I strongly doubt that the masters created their music to show how well the can pull off a complex bit of composition to impress self important, impotent music critic wannabees (with the possible exception of Bach).
Free Music Review: Five stars isn't enough!
Hit: 5 Stars
After hearing the sound clips of this album, I knew I had to have it. I ordered both "Luminosa" and "Libera" (the first offering by Robert Prizeman and his choir under the name of Libera). After listening to both albums a couple of times, I have to say that Amazon needs to have more stars available for its ratings! This album is easily one of the best I have bought in recent months.The boys' voices are simply angelic. They sound like such polished performers, easily hitting the soaring high notes with such skill you'd think they'd been training their voices for decades (not possible, since they only range in age from 8 to 14 years old). What set this album apart for me, and made it more appealing than their first album, were the new interpretations of classical pieces. "Sanctus II", based on Pachelbel's Canon, is one of the highlights of the album, as is "Luminosa" which is based on Debussy's "Clair de Lune". You've never heard classical music like this before! The first track on the CD, an original piece called "Vespera", is one of the more haunting and beautiful pieces and is a great start to a wonderful album.
I hope to see more albums from Libera in the future!
Free Music Review: A taste of Heaven on Earth
Hit: 5 Stars
I stumbled onto this beautiful piece at a listening section in a retail store. Wow was I impressed! If I had the capacity to conjure up music with choir type boys with a hint of intruments and dubbing I think it would come out to be something like this. These voices are what I will hope to hear when I die and go to heaven. It simply gives me the chills. I play the CD all the time. Very soothing/calming yet magickal. Track 11 has an interesting twist with an adult male voice interacting with the choir boys, as if a mythological god is singing to his children and vice versa (veni sancte). I have no idea what they're saying. I just know I like the sound of it. I agree with a previous reviewer that the words to the songs should have been included in the insert.As mentioned earlier, there is just a hint of instruments. Personally I don't like the first Libera album at all. Actually I would if that cheesy synthesized techno beat could be trashed and some chello or violin or harp take its place. On the other hand, Luminosa is perfect, focusing on the young boys voices with a touch of contemporary/classical flair. And no cheesy techno dance beats. I hope to hear more CDs by Libera which are an extension of their Luminosa album.