Since leaving Nightwish, Tarja Turunen has accomplished much, not the least of which is several well-received solo albums. Now she embarks on something rather ambitious, a live concert CD/DVD. Act 1 was recorded and filmed in Rosario, Argentina in full high definition using 10 cameras in the beautiful Teatro El Círculo. You can get a taste of the video recording by visiting her website.
Having not received the DVD, I'll be speaking, briefly, about the audio recording. Having seen the video excerpts, including the video for the previously unreleased Into the Sun, the DVD should be the point of interest, and the CD side pales in comparison.
Nevertheless, the CD recording is well-produced and mixed, putting Ms. Turunen clearly at the front. Tarja's lyric soprano style and three octave range is truly amazing, and the symphonic metal only propels her forward.
The selection of songs is largely from her most recent solo albums. Choice cuts include My Little Phoenix, Falling Awake, and Die Alive to name but a few. But she does do a few Nightwish songs including Nemo and Over The Hills And Far Away, which is actually a cover of a Gary Moore song. Other covers include Whitesnake's Still of the Night, which sounds strangely odd put in an operatic metal arrangement. In a medley, Turunen also performs Belinda Carlisle's (Go-Go's) Heaven Is a Place on Earth and Bon Jovi's Livin' On a Prayer, neither of which are entirely impressive. Honestly, this is when I least enjoy Turunen, placing popular rock songs in her operatic style.
Otherwise, this is a solid performance and a very good live recording. Ultimately, while the CD is nice, the true grandeur will be found on the DVD.
CD1:
01. Anteroom Of Death
02. My Little Phoenix
03. Dark Star
04. Naiad
05. Falling Awake
06. I Walk Alone
07. Little Lies
08. Into The Sun (previously unreleased)
09. Nemo (Nigtwish)
10. Never Enough (previously unreleased)
11. Still Of The Night (Whitesnake)
12. In For A Kill
CD2:
[spoiler]01. Boy And The Ghost
02. Lost Northern Star
03. Ciaran's Well
04. Tired Of Being Alone (written with Schiller)
05. Where Were You Last Night / Heaven Is A Place On Earth / Livin' On A Prayer (Medley)
06. Underneath
07. Oasis / The Archive Of Lost Dreams
08. Crimson Deep
09. The Phantom Of The Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber)
10. Die Alive
11. Until My Last Breath
12. Over The Hills And Far Away (Gary Moore)
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Tarja Turunen – Act I (2012)
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