Dorothy Kirsten - Three Classic Albums From Dorothy Kirsten

Three Classic Albums From Dorothy Kirsten

By  Dorothy Kirsten

Very Good Condition

Review:

1.  Dorothy Kristen was an accomplished, versatile singer who succeeded in both opera and popular music. In some ways the timing of her career could have been better. Her peak years generally coincided with those of Renata Tibaldi and Maria Callas; and the latter two divas tended to attract most of the critics' attention. The fact remains, however, that Kirsten was a major talent of her time. I've enjoyed the CD immensely. A minor criticism: The product is advertised as "Three Classic Albums from Dorothy Kirsten". In fact, it's one CD that contains 24 songs. The CD is definitely worth buying as far as I'm concerned; however, I think a prospective buyer should know what he or she is getting.

Kirsten's singing voice was somewhat jewel-like, which is a description that has been applied to other outstanding singers such as Judith Blegen and Erna Berger.

2.  Not too terribly long ago, and not too terribly far away, pop singing had an entirely different definition than it does today. Then, female singers had a sweet, feminine lilt in their voices. They sang in tune. They respected the intentions of the composers and the lyricists. They exuded warmth and charm. Things were good.
Then along came Barbra, the neurotic one, who pushed her tone past the point of beauty and made the music about her self-indulgence and pathetic need for attention. She sang flat. Her tone was squally. She was followed by Celine, the vulgar one. She, too, produced a tone that was flat and squally. Celine figured the audience was too stupid to understand subtle emotion, so she painted her pictures in the broadest, most obvious strokes.
This recording harkens back to those early days, when singers seemed to care about the music. Dorothy Kirsten takes care to craft her tone and interpretations for the pleasure of her listeners. She understood that the music was not just about her ego, but displays wonderful sensitivity to the intentions of the songwriters.
Every cut on this album is a delight. I expected the Gershwin and Kern to be good, I didn't really expect much from the "Tropical Love Songs". I realize they might not be to the taste of every other listener, but I enjoyed them more than I thought possible.
I would recommend this album to anyone who appreciates a real female voice, not one that his been pushed beyond its natural limits or been "sweetened" by sound engineers. Dorothy Kirsten's singing is the real deal, and should be valued.

Track Listings