Why is their French so poor??? Flat vowels, shrivelled consonants... Yes, it's in tune and most of the notes are right, but the idiom is all wrong - it sounds like Let's Parler Franglais set to music. Their customary minimal projection and reliance on technology to fill the sound out for them (all very well when the lyric is doo-bee-doo-bee-doo) just doesn't cut the mustard here. This is lifeless, bland, constricted and completely unconnected singing. "C'est un songe que d'y penser"? - hardly...
The slightly breathy tone they adopt in the first song is completely apposite: this is a poem of gentle wonder at the beauty that God has created in one woman, seen from afar, in typicaql mediaeval courtly style. The two other songs are sung more full-voiced, as befits the poetry -- indeed the last one gets quite raucous. I have performed these songs many times, with different professional groups and I maintain that the Swingles' approach remains the best on record.
They're not using a jazz approach or style at all. Let me remind you these are all top London classical session musicians, not jazzers. The only thing that may confuse you at first is the close miking; that is a Swingle hallmark and has nothing to do with how they interpret the music, other than that they can afford to use a greater variety of tones and nuances. This is the most exquisitely intimate, impressionistic chamber music and needs to be approached in just the way this group does.
Cambridge Singers are much better and clearer. I don't like it when groups who excel in jazz sing classical music with the same approach. It is sloppy and just doesn't fit the style. Sorry.
@fznbaritone sorry but I am not agree.. yesterday evening I had seen a fantastic show, here in Italy, by The Swingle singers and they are fantastic in classical and in pop and jazz music.. thay have done an incredible show from Corelli and Bach pieces to Debussy and Piazzolla to jazz and pop! They are great in classical music like in jazz.. listen to their classical arrangement and then tell me!
@losubri21 Oh, don't get me wrong, I love the Swingle Singers. I have their Around the World album and have their Bach and Mozart cds as well. Some are well done, others not so. You're allowed to have your opinion, but I don't care for groups (in general mind you) that have a great breathy jazz tone, but try that same approach to classical music. Some arrangements I can tolerate because they do something different with the piece, but others just don't work. Great group, just not their best.
@fznbaritone I love Cambridge Singers and John Rutter but I totally do not understand your comment. Swingle singers are not jazz singers. They are superb classical singers who happened to get a good gig singing a lot of classically arranged popular music but also classical music. I am a choral conductor and I do not hear that it is sloppy. It is beautiful and very musical.
@choral25 I apologize. What was typed is not how I truly feel about this. It is musical and it is well in tune, I just don't picture this trilogy with the breathy quality that they've applied here. I understand the choice with regards to mood and forwarding Debussy's approach, but I think there can be more done with phrasing and articulation than with tone color - although it adds to it. I don't think this recording is sloppy - it is quite clear. I love them a lot, just not this interpretation.
Wow people are brutal... I thought it was nice.
337336324317313306 2 weeks ago
Why is their French so poor??? Flat vowels, shrivelled consonants... Yes, it's in tune and most of the notes are right, but the idiom is all wrong - it sounds like Let's Parler Franglais set to music. Their customary minimal projection and reliance on technology to fill the sound out for them (all very well when the lyric is doo-bee-doo-bee-doo) just doesn't cut the mustard here. This is lifeless, bland, constricted and completely unconnected singing. "C'est un songe que d'y penser"? - hardly...
leoleoleo7859 2 months ago
half of their words are wrong o.o
pianisimobella 4 months ago
(cont.)
The slightly breathy tone they adopt in the first song is completely apposite: this is a poem of gentle wonder at the beauty that God has created in one woman, seen from afar, in typicaql mediaeval courtly style. The two other songs are sung more full-voiced, as befits the poetry -- indeed the last one gets quite raucous. I have performed these songs many times, with different professional groups and I maintain that the Swingles' approach remains the best on record.
lombergsc 5 months ago
@lombergsc Sorry, the first one doesn't talk about a woman, man, it's talking about France.
MrGorbokan 6 days ago
They're not using a jazz approach or style at all. Let me remind you these are all top London classical session musicians, not jazzers. The only thing that may confuse you at first is the close miking; that is a Swingle hallmark and has nothing to do with how they interpret the music, other than that they can afford to use a greater variety of tones and nuances. This is the most exquisitely intimate, impressionistic chamber music and needs to be approached in just the way this group does.
lombergsc 5 months ago
@lombergsc i do let you remind me of this. it had slip my mind.
i like it anyway,
phlarrdboi 4 months ago
Cambridge Singers are much better and clearer. I don't like it when groups who excel in jazz sing classical music with the same approach. It is sloppy and just doesn't fit the style. Sorry.
fznbaritone 6 months ago 2
@fznbaritone sorry but I am not agree.. yesterday evening I had seen a fantastic show, here in Italy, by The Swingle singers and they are fantastic in classical and in pop and jazz music.. thay have done an incredible show from Corelli and Bach pieces to Debussy and Piazzolla to jazz and pop! They are great in classical music like in jazz.. listen to their classical arrangement and then tell me!
losubri21 5 months ago
@losubri21 Oh, don't get me wrong, I love the Swingle Singers. I have their Around the World album and have their Bach and Mozart cds as well. Some are well done, others not so. You're allowed to have your opinion, but I don't care for groups (in general mind you) that have a great breathy jazz tone, but try that same approach to classical music. Some arrangements I can tolerate because they do something different with the piece, but others just don't work. Great group, just not their best.
fznbaritone 5 months ago
Comment removed
brezairola 4 months ago
@fznbaritone I love Cambridge Singers and John Rutter but I totally do not understand your comment. Swingle singers are not jazz singers. They are superb classical singers who happened to get a good gig singing a lot of classically arranged popular music but also classical music. I am a choral conductor and I do not hear that it is sloppy. It is beautiful and very musical.
choral25 3 months ago
@choral25 I apologize. What was typed is not how I truly feel about this. It is musical and it is well in tune, I just don't picture this trilogy with the breathy quality that they've applied here. I understand the choice with regards to mood and forwarding Debussy's approach, but I think there can be more done with phrasing and articulation than with tone color - although it adds to it. I don't think this recording is sloppy - it is quite clear. I love them a lot, just not this interpretation.
fznbaritone 3 months ago
I guess someone was laying upside down when they accidently hit the dislike button?
KatIsLoved 8 months ago 2