A smashing success that breathes new life into classics

Amici Forever is a British classical crossover group made up of five classically trained singers from around the globe (Britain, South Africa, and New Zealand). The two sopranos, two tenors and bass baritone blend together beautifully on the twelve tracks, which feature a blend of classical (Zadok the Priest, Whisper of Angels), opera (Nessun Dorma, Au fond du temple saint), pop (Unchained Melody, Canto Alla Vita), and soundtrack selections (the requiem from "Band of Brothers").

The music shifts between delicate orchestral backing (Nessun Dorma, Au fond du temple saint from Delibes' The Pearl Fishers) and dance/electronic elements (Prayer in the Night, based on Handel's Sarabande, with an insistent bass line and dance beats underscoring the melody). The orchestration is brilliant, always supporting the voices but never overpowering. The songs are most often in Italian, although Latin and French make brief appearances as well.

Kudos to Amici Forever for choosing lesser-recorded songs (Zadok the Priest, Au fond du temple saint, Handel's Sarabande) in addition to the heavies like Nessun Dorma and Fauré's Pavane, and for experimenting with newer material with classical potential (Band of Brothers, Canto Alla Vita, Unchained Melody). The excellent production values and vocal purity brings to mind British soprano Izzy's American debut A New Dawn.

My only gripe would be the omission of the beautiful Adeste Fidelis present on the British version of Opera Band (which also includes the classic mixes of Prayer in the Night and Whisper of Angels). Overall, I see nothing that could improve upon the tranquil beauty and sheer aural delight of Amici Forever. This album is perfect for daydreaming and relaxing to at the end of a stressful day.

A for effort, C for performance, F for originality

One is tempted to give five stars to a CD simply because you don't want to admit that you paid 18 bucks for something and didn't like it. I like some opera selections (Verdi, Puccini in particular) and what I truly enjoyed were discs of selected works, e.g. Love Songs I (solo) and Love Songs II (duets). This is a hybrid though.

In order to attract the non-classical music crowd, a semi-pop beat was introduced as well as some odd instrumentation and some "popular/popularized" tunes. The voices were adequate although I agree with another reviewer that a Berlitz refresher course was needed for the Italian. This is not to say that it was an unpleasant experience; rather, it was an inoffensive, slightly boring series that neither challenged nor excited.

And who did the selections? Unchained Melody? Please. Nessum Dorma? The zillionth time. Pavane? Another old standby that Barbara Streisand did better 30 years ago. This group would be perfect for some of the love duets but they are nowhere to be found. I have an idea (may be mistaken) that a different selection and arranger could have produced a far better CD. Here's wishing them luck...

As I see It

a blind purchase, attention caught by cover and Border's album description notes. sampled their italian lyric version of "unchained melody" was stunned. this is a fabulous album with extroadinary performances by five very talented young performers. this album should appeal to anyone that says they love music