Seratone (through Festival Mushroon) 334892
Review copy supplied by Abels Music, Canberra ACT
Reviewed by Tony Magee
I've really been looking forward to this second Divaria album from Daz Nuance, which is basically the talents of composer and arranger Andrew Thomas Wilson and invited guests. I enthusiastically reviewed the first Divaria album in these pages earlier last year and I'm equally delighted with this one.
Divaria II offers an interesting marriage between classical favourites and 21st century electronic backings, plus a large selection of excellent easy-listening original pieces. As before, the classical reworkings are not offered as "improvements", simply an alternative approach to adored melodies and arias, whilst still retaining the essential essence of the pieces that makes them so popular in the first place.
Included are Puccini's O Mio Babino Caro, the duet from Delibes' Opera Lakme, and a beautiful setting of Faure's Pavan, with additional lyrics by Maurice Blackman. The mezzo-soprano on all these tracks is Karen Cummings, who sings with charm and style.
The other original tracks are breezy, innovative and highly appealing and feature many guest instrumentalists including Carl Dewhurst on guitar, Craig James on saxophones with additional vocals from David McLeod and Kimmy Tupaea.
This one's ideal for all kinds of restaurants - new age sophisticated, or cool and laid back. Lunch or dinner. Not a dance album though.
First published in Restaurant and Catering magazine, April 2002