The Heart That Flutters / Lawrence Brownlee

When I purchased this disc, I had no idea of what to expect from the singer. Perhaps I had been misled by the CD cover photo which seems designed to make the purchaser see Brownlee more as a casual subway rider than as a distinguished international artist. That photo is certainly a bad management and marketing decision when so much of the talk and print media have been rushing to label young black men as "thugs." However, it only took a few bars of the opening Spiritual to assure me that here was a uniquely beautiful voice, freely produced, and artistically used. I cannot account for the placement of the first Spiritual at the beginning of the disc rather than at the end with the other Spiritual. While this is bad programming, it did not detract from the beauty of the singing. I have one suggestion for Mr. Brownlee as a flowering artist: that he give the same respect to classically arranged Spirituals that he gives to the music of Duparc and Donizetti! There were several note inaccuracies in the "Deep River" that betray carelessness and the acceptance of the false assumption that black singers naturally sing Spirituals well. The truth is that black or white singers will only sing Spirituals well if they study them and sing them correctly. They are not Gospel, they are not Jazz, and the artist is not free to improvise on what the arranger wrote. Verdi articulated the rule to follow when he said he did not believe in the creative singer, just sing his music exactly as he wrote it.The repertoire on this recital is varied, interesting and well-chosen: Duparc Songs, the Liszt Petrarch Sonnets, 4 Songs of Ben Moore; Five Songs of Ginastera, 2 Spirituals, and Arias of Donizetti and Rossini. I have not heard the Duparc Songs sung so beautifully since Leopold Simoneau. I don't think I have ever heard the Liszt Sonnets played and sung so well. Both sets were almost mesmerizing. The arias revealed a voice with the incomparable top notes of Pavarotti but with far superior flexibility and without the almost ugly and mechanical machinations of Pavarotti in the middle register as he prepared to sing those notes above High "C". There is no doubt that with great management and guidance, Brownlee can become the premiere Bel Canto tenor of this era. I urge him to get off the "Gospel and Jazz-inspired Spirituals" kick and focus on the great literature. If he wants to do an album of Spirituals, do the best of the classically arranged ones and include the "Cantata on Spirituals" of John Carter. He should explore the best arrangements of Hall Johnson, Margaret Bonds, Nathaniel Dett, Edward Boatner, William Grant Still, Florence Price, and Roland Hayes. Their works need a new voice. He should add them to the great operatic and song literature and leave an enviable legacy. Customers will enjoy every moment of this recording. Thumbs up -- all the way!

I enjoyed this CD immensely. Mr. Brownlee's vocal technique is virtually flawless and particularly satisfying when he employs the full range of vocal dynamics and color to the interpretation of the texts. I found the two selections of spirituals somewhat unsatisfying because of a lack of communication of the depth of suffering inherent in the songs' lyrics. In spite of that, I am very glad I have this and other CDs by Mr. Brownlee and only look forward to more illuminating releases that will come in the future.

Some quite spectacular singing, some striking if unfamiliar repertoire. A timely display of virtuosity in nearly direct competition with established star Florez and newcomers Spyres and Camarena. Tenor collectors who love those high notes will be dazzled.

Great and versatile singer.

I have to recommend this CD by Lawrence Brownlee. He has a unique voice with a unique sound. I promise you will love listening to his voice.

This is a fantastic recording of art songs and arias! Brownlee sounds amazing and his line and phrasing is superb! I have really enjoyed listening to this and glad that I found this here on Amazon!!

Anytime you can hear Larry Brownlee sing, it is a great day! This is a beautiful album and every opera lover and lover of song will enjoy it thoroughly.

The voice sounds strained in the high notes of the operatic selections. Short of power and weight in the spirituals. Very exposed without orchestral accompaniment. Overall I am disappointed. Sweet tone doesn't makeup for the flat feel of the recital.

Lawrence Brownlee may not be as famous as some other "Rossini tenors", but he is spectacular. Not only does he have the technical competence to easily sing some of the most difficult coloratura/bel canto pieces, he has a richness to his voice that adds immensely to the emotional impact of what he sings. (He is also very engaging dramatically, which shows in the voice here; you can get a better glimpse of it with the various videos you can see of him online, as well as in the Met Opera's Cenerentola and Armida.) This CD has a selection of many different kinds of songs; my two favourites are 'Ah! mes amis' (of course!) and Deep River (which you might think is reserved for a bass-baritone, but it's obviously not!)

I especially love the lyrical songs of Ben Moore. Mr. Brownlee's and Mr. Burnside's sensitive expressiveness enhance the beauty of both the poetry and the music of these lovely songs. I have listened to the CD again and again.

テレビのコンサート中継（パリ祭記念コンサート）で聴いて、たちまちこの人のパワフルで艶のある美声のとりこになりました。故パヴァロッティ以来初めて「すごい」声に出会いました。No.９のドニゼッティは圧巻です。アマゾンでようやく輸入盤を見つけて購入しました。国内盤で手に入らないのが残念です。