Swingle Singers - When I am Laid in Earth (live in Catania)

[hatchnhatch]

@peteradburn Yes, The Swingle Singers were originally a french group. But 1973 Ward Swingle moved to England and founded a new group of the same name. I personally like the old french recordings, the new ones (mainly 1980 upwards) don't bother me. This interpretation of a wonderful piece surprised me, but I think that the french would've made up a better one and would definitely sing it better.

[shugapie513]

i like it.

[christskat]

This is just ..weird! What part of this stays close to the original piece. They can't even sing that well and whats with the strange beat in the background!

[marioguidoscappucci]

Postmoderno sublime!

[presbyterosBassI]

Whoa baby! Incredable lapse in taste! Whoever thought this was a good idea?

I know, let's do "Urlicht" as a rap song!

[bigmandrel]

Fresh interpretation? I make a fresh interpretation every morning. This sucked beyond all sensibility.

[peteradburn]

I had to laugh at tlwalrus' comment below when (s)he wants to insult the British. and doesn't realise that that The swingle singers are a french group. Not a brit amongst the lot of 'em! That ought upset the Entente Cordial. What's the betting I could guess which side of the pond he (or she) comes from!!

[reidpaula50]

Some of the detractors on here need to broaden their minds a bit. This might not be everyone's cup of tea but it is brilliantly done, a completely fresh interpretation and to a lot of people, including me, none of the raw emotion or melancholy which was intended has been lost. The Swingles are just doing what they do so well, bringing wonderful music to whole new audiences with real skill and style.

[MATTDUNCAN1]

oh dear god.....filthy creatures...get me a bucket...AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH

[goldie1102]

I am singings this aria for my final jury i really like this i love the other versions tho as well

[CriticalListener]

Not everyone's cup of tea; yet this version may be that which brings some listener to find the purity of the original.

[LibraryFiddler]

But perhaps a bit of sillyness is part of the point... anyway, I like their singing a bit better on the Moscow performance.

[fujib]

Bellissimo, magico. Bravi!

[marcellny]

ok.. someone put emma kirkby as one of the great interpreters of this aria? nuts. i like this arrangement/transcription better than the 'earlier than thou' kirkby. for me, baker or norman for the original. and if you are going to arrange this, yes... the swingle singers.

[tlwalrus]

Way to go, Britain. You killed art.

[stpauldandy]

Wow... some hopelessly square comments here! Why disrespectful? Is there supposed to be just one version of this classic song? I applaude the adventurous take. And if you know what the swingles have done over the years, then you shouldn't be surprised by this: check their versions of Bach with MJQ!

[phuckmycuntt]

There is a place for this and I am sure as musical and theatrical innovator Mr Purcell would have approved and been intrigued. If you want to cry a river go a see the Janet Baker version.

[singingdollxo]

ugh what is this

[gothips]

they raped then murdered it. they are killing the pure sadness of this great piece.

[bigmanweston]

Is pure sadness so fragile that it can be killed by a murder or a rape?

[bcpiano]

HORRIBLE AND STUPID!

[DevaRupa]

How AWFUL!!! How totally disrespectful, how very very silly!

[altemusik]

I love the Swingle Singers since I am a small kid. Yet I must confess in this case of the aria "When I am Laid in Earth" they are 100% wrong.

Just listen one of the great singers (Baker, Kirkby, Norman, ...) performing it and read the text to understand what it is about and you will love the original and dislike the arrangement of the Swingle Singers.

[AoAPC]

Okay, if one wants the original aria, listen to the original aria. I think this is an innovative and interesting modern take (or dare I say it.... remix) on Purcell's aria. It isn't meant to be a great performance of the original, so of course if that's what you're looking for, you're going to be disappointed.

[williangermano]

They are great.

but this really was a mistake. A big and ugly mistake...

No no no no...

[Spetet]

@williangermano Yes, to ignore the poignant content of this piece and do a burpy boom box bossa treatment, no matter how tight, is wrong. Check out Alison Moyet's version for an example of how it can be respectfully given a modern adaptation.

[ruthrosengarten]

oh NO!!! Janet Baker singing this is the very distillation of sorrow.

[violadude2]

no no no no no no !

[tonebarry]

Laughable.

[markmk13]

This has to be one of the worst things that anyone could have done with what is oneof the greatest arias in English opera. if you want to hear it as Purcell wanted it to sound listen to the Janet Baker version also on here. one word springs to mind one hearing this c**p

[jeannypoo]

Yeah, they completely lost the sorrowful feel that makes it so great and moving.

[nathanielbagshot]

Absolutlely stunning!

[finny0253]

this was kind of cool until the beat boxing came in.

[ariesBLK]

That's what made it cool; very creative

[pauline59840]

Faire de ce chef d'oeuvre une interprétation pareille me tue!Il n'y a aucune émotion! On se doit de chanter cette plainte avec tout son être! Ce personnage se suicide à la fin elle dit adieu à son amour! Entrez dans ce personnage et vivait cet amour et ce désespoir!

[elyssarenee]

this is such an innovative arrangement of this great classic!

[ichmalealsobinich]

Meiner meinung nach ist das imitieren von Musikinstrumenten v.a. schlagzeug mit der Stimme zwar keine große kunst, dennoch ist didos Abgesang als Jazzversion ganz gut umgesetzt. (Scheiß shifttaste!)

[dolphinCT]

ist nicht große Kunst? anstatt denken sie, die Stimme ist das schwierigste, ist nicht nur eine Frage der Technik!

[Phernamar]

Their wrongs are creating a bit of trouble in my breast

[mc07fvjf]

HAHAHA, well said.

[tonymyself]

how dare they massacre this most beautiful piece of music!?

i'll really never understand some people's ego that allows them to do such things.

to those who love this or even like it, please never listen to the original version... thank you and good bye

[gsharp143]

WOW!!! Just great. The Lead singer sounds like Allison Moyet! Great work on the blance and blend!!!

[eoghdes18]

Kastanienross, what's special about this beat is that he's doing it with his voice...

[infiniteFinality]

nicely done X3 it would've been better if she sang it an octave higher though, but her voice is nice and powerful here X3

[Kastanienross]

Dreadful!!! Does everything have to be milled through the beat-mill??? This is really bland!!!

[tomasz1641]

Putting the classics to a beat has always been the trademark of the Swingle Singers since the 1960's. It it is not to your taste, remember that no one is forcing you to listen to it.

[ariesBLK]

Damn, that was ABSOLUTE brilliance. I LOVED IT

[mojobeebee]

woo this is amazing I love what they done with this song...

[ottokees]

So amazingly creative !!!. Thank you very much!!!. Sergio, Patagonia, Argebtina.

[Thyrsis]

Excelente adaptación de este clásico. Una de mis arias de ópera favoritas.

[popogina]

would love to see more opera interpretations like this!

[RAATCC36]

cool, sounds like a background song in a movie or something,