Kathleen Battle & Christopher Parkening - Bachianas N° 5 - Villa Lobos

[assaidsly]

The 20th centurys' best crafted melody? A lovely bright soprano tone and the guitar making clear what can sound thick on the cellos. Very nice.

[joaopedro12]

Omg antes de morrer toquem-me isto, porque foi o momento mais perfeito de sempre, superou a bidu sayao. cheers portugal

[lucasdatti]

This is my favorite interpretation of this aria. The pronounciation is so brazilian-like. I really can´t stand it with wooffy voices. Kathleen has portraited all the sutilties of the language. And her expressiveness is touching.

[lucasdatti]

Sem dúvida é a minha interpretação preferida. A pronúncia é tão brasileira. Eu não consigo ouvir esta canção com vozes entubadas. Kathleen captou toda a sutileza da língua.

E a expressividade dela é de fazer chorar.

[rnmendonca]

I'm Brazilian. It's possible to understand some words of some sentences and I have difficulties to understand the lyrics completely. But what is less important in this song is the lyrics. It's a song to be heard with the soul being led by the magnificent voice of Kathleen Battle.

[NoirHammer]

What a haunting aria yet beautiful at the same time.

[sillyboydeux]

She did this aria as a finale in a concert at Alice Tully somewhere in the mid80s. It was one of the most unforgettable musical performances I was ever privileged to hear, right up there with Horowitz and YoYo-Ma. She came out in a cream satin strapless Vera Wang gown, surrounded by 8 cellists in black tux, and with that angelic voice mesmerised the entire audience. She is a breathtaking singer and a brilliant musician. I never thought anyone would equal Victoria de los Angeles, but here she is!

[TedinNY]

I must strongly disagree with the comment that the Portuguese is not good.

I lived in Brazil for many years and not only understood every single word very clearly but would have easily believed it if someone had told me that Kathleen was actually born in Rio de Janeiro. I've never heard a non-Brazilian with better pronunciation. (And Portuguese is notoriously difficult for foreigners, what with all those nasal diphthongs, etc.)

[cyrodel]

@TedinNY As a brazilian, and as a guitar player who works with singers, I must agree that the portuguese pronunciation in this performance is one of the best I ever had heard for a non-brazilian singer.

[darrensphantomlover]

I'm doing this song! I'm so excited, but it's difficult. I love Kathleen Battle.

[sillyboydeux]

@darrensphantomlover Some advice. Plan at least a year to learn it, so says Joan Baez and others. Play it constantly without singing, then you'll spontaneously begin to hum it and it will become part of you. This is as difficult as the Casta Diva is for dramatic coloratura voices, and then there is the language. But don't despair, let Battle be an inspiration to you.

[RAMANESS]

This music is amazing! I'd rather only intrumental.

[Klarjannah]

Her portuguese doesn't sound very good...

The interpretation is one of the greatest, though.

[pedrofribeiro]

@Klarjannah I'm sorry, but her portuguese is perfect. Better than anyone else's in the same Cantilena(even Sayao). I'm brazilian, and I could understand every single word. ;)

[crybabyland]

Simply beautiful. La Battle is amazing