Erstellt am 02.02.2009 - 11:15

Brilliante Premiere

Schon die beiden ersten Lieder überzeugen: "My fisherman" und "My lagan love" - lange nicht mehr gehört - erfahren jetzt eine "Frischzellenkur". Besser als die Studioaufnahmen? Unmöglich! Nach über 40 Jahren belehrt uns Esther eines besseren!
Ihre Stimme: fest und klar wie die Isar im Karwendelgebirge, ohne dramatisches Tremolo, dazu fantasiereiche Arrangements von Yoni - ein Ohrenschmaus! Nächster Höhepunkt: "Hallelujah" - teilweise im Duett mit Yoni und auch Michael - umwerfend schön.
In dem Song "I´ll see you in my dreams" zeigt Esther erneut ihre Vielseitigkeit, so leicht und gelöst, ja glücklich, hören wir sie gerne.
Aber es wird noch besser:

"Surabaya Johnny"

Schmerz, Enttäuschung, Wut und trotzdem immer noch Liebe: Ein Melodram in 4 Minuten.

Auch zu hören: "Here I´ll stay" und "I have dreamed". Irgendwo war mal zu lesen, dass manche Lieder auf dem Bobby Scott Album von 1965 Esthers Stimme überforderten. Davon ist heute nichts zu spüren. Im Gegenteil: better than ever! Esther meistert die höchsten Töne mit Bravour.

"Kinderspiele" - endlich wieder einmal - umhüllt von einem atemberaubenden und spannenden Arrangement, auch dieser Song wurde vom Publikum stürmisch gefeiert.

Wenn ich mir was wünschen dürfte.... Eine DVD von diesem Premierenabend! But I am afraid this is only in my dreams......


Franz Rischard

[Dieser Beitrag wurde am 03.02.2009 - 19:20 von Conny aktualisiert]

Erstellt am 03.02.2009 - 23:04

One surprise followed another in Esther's new programme. Songs from the very early days dusted off and sounding all fresh again. My Lagan Love, going up and down the scale, requires almost classical skills. For Esther no mountain too high. She hit the highs effortlessly.

More suprises, some songs never performed by Esther before. I've heard several versions of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah, but Esther nailed it just right, aptly supported by her band, both vocally and instrumentally. Surabaja Johnny was maybe the highpoint of the evening for me. German theater let a phenomenal actress slip away! This song allowed Esther to open all her registers, alternating enraged despair with aching tenderness. It's astounding how easily she switched from belting to pianissimo and always on pitch. Purity of tones comes automatic with Esther. The voice is always in the right place. Wonderful also to finally hear her sing an entire song in German. We even got another one, the contemplative Kinderspiele, set to a new fresh arrangement. Esther sounds so good in German.

Another surprise and big asset was the addition of guitarist Bernard Fichtner to the band. Esther's voice blends so well with guitar (for example with Erich Ferstl or on Gnostic Serenade). Musically Willow Willow may not be the most challenging piece, but hearing Esther's voice accompanied only by guitar gave me gooseskin anyway. Partisan sounded very different from her symphonic version with Bob Johnston, it was more reminiscent of her first recording of it due to the guitar, but then it gradually turned into a haunting military march.

I fully agree with my fellow Esther-trooper above that Here I'll Stay sounded so much better than her rather strained recording of it in 1965. And just like in the St. Pauli Theater in 2004, Esther sang the complete song, including its beautiful opening verse.

The last surprise Esther had in store for us was a "take-off" on her biggest hit, chatting up two rockefellas, rather than just one. Needless to say the place went nuts.

If one were to distinguish a common theme between all the different styles and periods, then maybe, since love affairs are seldomly everlasting, it's better to dream they are. Like in Oscar Hammerstein's beautiful lyric of I Have Dreamed, or the title song of her new show, I'll See You In My Dreams. It was infectious to watch Esther gently rock to this catchy and crisp hitsong from 1924, full of self irony. It somehow seemed to match the 'Steel Magnolia' image I got reading the Abendblatt article.

Robert from Amsterdam