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Sarah Brightman - One Night in Eden

Sarah Brightman - One Night in Eden

List Price: $24.99
Your Price: $22.49
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Sarah Brightman
Review: This is a well performed show except the quality of the sound. I could notice sporadic distortions at high pitches when she talks and sings. Is there anyone who has noticed the same way? I would like to know if my DVD is wrong or if it is a general poor quality recording. Thank you.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: How am I supposed to feel?
Review: I really like Sarah Brightman's recordings. "Eden" is perhaps one of the most beautiful albums I own.

So it is with those thoughts that I write this review.

As other reviewers have noted, she is lip synching (I believe the WHOLE concert, not just parts). The reason I can confirm this is because when she speaks to the audience, the fidelity of that disturbing tour guide at safari-land headset is not the same as when she sings -- there is no way a cheap mic like that would be able to support those kind of vocals!

Besides, the tracks are ripped right from the CD-- at least get a new arrangement for god's sake if you're gonna fake it! How can her vocals perfectly replicate the CD, especially when she is being tossed around the stage by some hairless buff dudes (who I can guarantee also are not singing the secular chants on "Eden")...

Yes, her blank stares are creepy (resembling a possessed doll), and she never closes her eyes when she hits the high notes...

And I have to agree with another reviewer... the token use of Africans in "Deliver Me" (after the abuses of apartheid in South Africa) in "cute" tribal dress (delivered by the messiah-diva white woman) is simply token ornament that makes me feel sick...

All that said, I still love her music, and I guess I'd prefer to have a smoke, close my eyes & let the CD take me away.

I'm just surprised that a woman of her stature wouldn't concentrate more on performance as opposed to theatrics... I'd really rather see the simplicity of her AUTHENTIC singing LIVE... her crossover peers are able to pull off a show simply by their sheer vocal talent -- why doesn't she?! (remember your duets with Bocelli Sarah?!)

As I said before, Eden is still a beautiful album...

I can muster up 2 stars because under it all, the music is still just so damn beautiful -- ugh, this is coming from a professional?! What happened?!

Of course you could take it from the angle of complete camp, but the show doesn't have enough self reflexivity or humor to support that notion...

Yes, I'll settle for the CD alone & try to forget this mess...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I am in paradise!!
Review: I was aghast at the negative review! Has this negative person looked around as to what really is available? Sarah is like a breath of fresh air! God blessed her with an angelic voice,and with hard work and great sacrifices she shares that voice with the world. I am constantly amazed! I have ALL her CDs and 3 DVDs and looking for more! I very much agree with Reviewer: Debi Dufala from Seymour, TN United States who wrote: "I have read all kinds of reviews on this site and have never put in my 2 cents till today. Someone said something a bit negative about Sarah Brightman and the Eden Album, DVD and I say PHOOEY. I am so bored ... with the music I have been bombarded with in the last 10 years. Same ole garbage, with different faces, different makeup. Sarah comes into the world with her abstract breath of FRESH AIR! I don't care what she is singing..." "...it is with an artistic flair, with such talent, if it were transposed onto a canvas, I could not afford it. Fortunately, I can afford all her CDs, DVDs. I buy for friends...they were immediate fans. Eden is well worth it. The CD and the DVD. Do yourself a favor, enjoy Eden. In a world of junk food, enjoy something "good for you" I say AMEN to that!! Eva

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Sarah Brightman******IS Bright.....Always Refreshing........
Review: I have read all kinds of reviews on this site and have never put in my 2 cents till today. Someone said something a bit negative about Sarah Brightman and the Eden Album, DVD and I say PHOOEY. I am so bored ... with the music I have been bombarded with in the last 10 years. Same ole garbage, with different faces, different makeup. Sarah comes into the world with her abstract breath of FRESH AIR! I don't care what she is singing, (even Opera and I am no fan of Opera, but I will listen to it when she sings it), it is with an artistic flair, with such talent, if it were transposed onto a canvas, I could not afford it. Fortunately, I can afford all her CDs, DVDs. I buy for friends. No one I have ever given her music to as a gift has said, "it was okay".......they were immediate fans. Eden is well worth it. The CD and the DVD. I put the DVD on the TV, turned down low, but when my company has arrived, immediately I hear, "turn it up", and everybody wants to watch and listen. Then "where do I buy"???? Do yourself a favor, enjoy Eden. In a world of junk food, enjoy something "good for you".....

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Gran concierto
Review: No estoy de acuerdo con el cliente de venezuela,es un muy buen concierto de Sarah Brightman.De cada 100 personas que se le pregunte su opinion sobre este dvd. El 99% le va encantar.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: She sounds like a deranged chipmunk.
Review: Somebody will have to explain to me the popularity of this female chipmunk. She puts herself in outlandish costumes, over emotes each song, and generally "Nora Desmonds" her way through the concert. How could someone with limited talent climb to such heights. If it weren't for Phantom and her ex would we have ever been subjected to this shrill voice on helium. Can one give her a -4 stars?

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: La Estafa Mas Grande
Review: Aunque reconozco que Sarah Brightman tiene una de las voces más espectaculares y hermosas de nuestro tiempo, no puedo dejar de pensar que este video (One Night In Eden) que reproduce su concierto en Sudáfrica, es una burla para cualquier amante de la buena música.
Muy bien lograda y demás decir que hermosa su presentación en escena, pero obviaron por completo el sonido original del concierto, haciendo una remezcla muy clara de lo que son sus grabaciones en estudio. Para ello, es preferible comprar de una vez sus CDs de audio, y ahorrarse dinero en esta estafa tan grande como lo es este video.

Simone Di Stefano
Venezuela

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: IN PARADISUM WITH SARAH - THE MOST SUPERB MUSIC EVENT ON DVD
Review: ONE NIGHT IN EDEN on DVD with SARAH BRIGHTMAN is the next best in the world - only SARAH live is better. The picture and sound on this DVD is excellent.

Sarah's warm-heartedness charisma is amazing. She looks so beautiful, her happy smile and her warm eyes sparkle with joy. She is so talented - her voice is so warm and bright - no matter what style she sings: opera, musical or pop. Sarah has definitely the best and most beautiful voice in the world - ever.

ALL SONGS ARE OF COURSE LIVE - SARAH DOES NOT USE LIP-SYNCHRONIZING IN HER CONCERTS.

The concert starts with IN PARADISUM+EDEN, in Gregorian style. Incredible beautiful.
SO MANY THINGS are fantastic. Queen's WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER with Sarah, is so phenomenal performed. She looks so lovely with the wind in her hair.

Albinoni's ADAGIO is used for the song ANYTIME, ANYWHERE. It is in my opinion one of the most beautiful song in the world. LASCIA CH'IO PIANGA and NELLA FANTASIA are two wonderful arias.

NESSUN DORMA should always be performed by a soprano - and nobody does it better than Sarah.

CAPTAIN NEMO/LA MER are astounding - Sarah floating in wires, looks like she swims underwater - fantastic sound.
IL MIO CUORE VA (the theme from Titanic) is so incredible performed with Sarah's bright soprano voice. Sarah's version is much better and beautiful than the original. It's so beautiful!
ONLY AN OCEAN AWAY and FIRST OF MAY are so fantastic.

WISHING YOU WERE SOMEHOW HERE AGAIN and MUSIC OF THE NIGHT - two of Sarah's signature songs, are always so wonderful performed. DELIVER ME - Sarah sings together with an African native choir - it sounds great. TIME TO SAY GOODBYE is even more beautiful when Sarah sings it solo.

ONE NIGHT IN EDEN is together with LA LUNA - LIVE IN CONCERT the best entertainment products in the world. Thank you Sarah for all the fantastic songs you have given to the world - without you and your voice the world would not be so beautiful.

SARAH there is NO ONE LIKE YOU - HEAVEN IS HERE.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Lavish costumes, brooding sets and great songs...
Review: "One Night in Eden" combines several different Sarah Brightman albums into one performance, including songs from Timeless ("Who Wants to Live Forever"), Dive ("Dive," "La Mer," "Captain Nemo"), and three songs from Phantom of the Opera ("Phantom Overture/Little Lotti," "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" and "Music of the Night"). The rest of the selections are from Eden, Sarah's 1998 set of classical crossover/cover songs that included "Dust in the Wind" (Kansas), "Il Mio Cuore Va" (James Horner/Celine Dion), "Eden" (Hooverphonic), and a number of classical selections ("Anytime, Anywhere" from Albinoni's Adagio, "Nessun Dorma," "Lascia Ch'io Pianga").

"One Night in Eden" presents us with a lavish staging that is full of dark atmosphere, especially in the opening numbers, complete with hooded dancers and gothic costumes. The selection of songs was excellent, combining the best of Sarah's works in recent years. I particularly enjoyed the selections from "Dive" as Sarah rarely performs her early albums. The sound and picture quality were both crystal clear, with sharp colours and good sound mixing (unlike some issues with the Sarah Brightman La Luna VHS). If you are already a Sarah Brightman fan or are just starting out, "One Night In Eden" is a wonderful concert with many memorable moments, and a look at Sarah Brightman's beautiful soprano voice and her ability to easily perform both classical and pop.

Tracklisting: Introduction/Bailero, In Paradisum, Eden, So Many Things, Who Wants To Live Forever, Anytime, Anywhere, Lascia Ch'io Pianga, Nella Fantasia, Nessun Dorma, Dive;/Captain Nemo, La Mer, II Mio Cuore Va, Only An Ocean Away, First Of May, Phantom Overture & Little Lotti, Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, Music Of The Night, Deliver Me, Time To Say Goodbye, Artist Interview

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Sarah reaches our Eden
Review: Since catching an edited version of ONE NIGHT IN EDEN on PBS, I have become an ardent Sarah Brightman fan. During that first experience, my world stopped; I was in suspended animation, so enthralled I was by this gorgeous and talented creature. After learning more about her -- that she is in fact a world renowned crossover theatrical performer -- I felt like the last to know. But, as they say, better late than never, and I cannot convey the emotion Sarah elicits with her stellar vocals and ethereal presence. Since that first accidental viewing, I've been under her spell; I have become a slave to that voice, that face, those beguiling facial expressions. It's no wonder she is referred to as "The Angel of Music": everything about her performance conjures the image of some diaphanous being whose spiritual energies are all but spent maintaining a bridge between heaven and earth.

Sarah has so much talent to spare, she makes singing appear easy, almost as if she were conversing with us. She emotes sincerity, a love for the song, and a love for performing it for us. During the opening piece, "Eden," she rises from a red-draped divan -- an allusion to the album from which the newest songs for this show are selected -- dressed in a silk, black gown accessorized with a filigreed breastplate fashioned after the attire of Nordic goddesses, a nod to her theatrical roots and denoting her pop-opera fusion. She then allures us with her supple, ornamented, genteel hands as she details the shortcomings in a previous friendship. The song conveys a longing to make the friendship whole, to finish what was left unrealized. In the context of this show, the audience is now the friend, and she seduces us into putting aside our misgivings with the promise that she will attain completeness with us. She more than meets her obligation. For the rest of the program, you'll be spellbound.

To further justify my admiration for this woman, I want to note the nuanced performance of the Queen classic, "Who Wants to Live Forever." At the beginning of the song, she looms on a dias silhouetted against a dusk-blue backdrop of roiling sky, arms out, the light coming up to reveal her hair windblown back from her face. Forward movement is implied, and I was reminded of the figurehead on the prow of a galleon, resolutely looking out over a harsh seascape. She sings of a mournful resignation to mortality, but her posture is one of defiance, her chin tilted to take the blow of the elements: "There's no time for us/ there's no place for us/ What is this thing that builds our dreams/ yet slips away from us?" This contrast between determination and resignation extracts even greater irony from the lyrics, and while Queen's version is good in its own right, this cover by Sarah enriches it; she makes the song her own.

Sarah demonstrates her own writing ability in "So Many Things." Some might recognize this song as the traditional melody "The Women of Ireland" (you can hear the Chieftans perform it on the BARRY LYNDON soundtrack), to which Sarah has added some folk-flavored lyrics befitting world music. Her words and vocals are a fine addition to this song, maintaining the Celtic tradition while broadening its appeal. She clearly has a dead-on instinct for picking songs that facilitate her unique stamp; she understands the songs, and uses her voice as an alembic to extract the rarest of emotions, further delineating the heart of the piece.

Her performance is complemented throughout with a theatrical visual style, as you'd expect from someone with roots in musical theater. In "Captain Nemo," a sheer curtain suggests an underwater world, from behind which Sarah emerges wearing a lavender dress, marking a sudden shift from a red-and-black color scheme (like the EDEN album cover) to a less-somber pastel theme. As the song changes to "La Mer," she steps back behind the curtain, where she and two dancers take to the air via cables to create the illusion of swimming underwater. She also performs a few of the songs she made famous as Christine in PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, demonstrating her range and power, as she does at other times in the concert, such as in the more classically flavored pieces "Nella Fantasia," "Anytime, Anywhere," and "Nessun Dorma." She also reaches up and out in "Only an Ocean Away" -- a piece with an electric pulse to it, very strong and modern -- going from sweet songstress in one verse to soaring diva in the next.

Her vocals are often processed to accentuate lushness. The live presentations differ from the studio versions of her songs in varying degrees, most of the time noticably, sometimes just enough to enjoy them as new performances. But the real pleasure comes from watching Sarah herself. She's charming and beautiful, with the most captivating blue-gray eyes, and hair as thick as wild jungle vines. Hell, she has so much poise, I'd pay to watch this woman do her nails.

There are no extra features per se on this DVD. That is, there are no extras you access through a menu, as in her LA LUNA concert DVD. But like the VHS edition of this concert, the presentation begins with Sarah describing her affection for Africa, with samples of the landscape and icons to which she is referring spliced in. After the concert concludes, there is another more extensive interview about the show itself. She's an insightful interviewee and you come to appreciate the exactitude she attends to her art. Other than these interviews, the DVD edition is a no-frills product, basically a simple transfer from the VHS edition. The significant difference is that the sound and picture quality are vastly improved, and I can attest to this with certainty since I had watched the tape many, many times before I upgraded to the DVD. The improvement over the VHS edition is strikingly obvious, especially in the sharpness of the picture.

I recommend this concert to anyone who enjoys live performances. This is a premium show, not to be missed.


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