En toute intimité

by

Lara Fabian

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And I mean truly live, not as in "live recording">I got the marvelous opportunity to see Lara live at a small music house a couple of months ago, and it was one of, if not the most splendid,moving, involving live concerts I've ever been to.Even more surprising if you consider that I've never owned a single album from Fabian, and that the only guide I had were a couple of songs which I dubbed "well-sung". Well, I gotta say, that Lara is a one in a million type of gal-and she blows those way past their prime divas mariah,whitney,celine,etc way out of the water.Because the moment she stepped out onto the stage,dressed in a modestly simple black dress,barefoot, with nothing but a grand piano, and a couple of excellent violinists accompanying her, when she stepped out onto the stage and opened her mouth to sing, it was obvious that here was a singer of the highest caliber-a real and true musician who had nothing more on her agenda but to sing her heart out and share her strong,beautiful voice through her expertise,emotive delivery.And I'll never,ever,ever forget the moment when her band walked off the stage,Lara dropped the microphone,dropped to the ground, clutching her heart, and simply SANG.I HAD tears in my eyes, my stomach hurt-I was simply wrenched.Well, I'll stop now, since I know how bad I'm making you all who have never had the chance to see Lara live feel(right), but after the concert was over, I bought this live disc.It's excellent, but it still dims when I think back to how INCREDIBLE she sounded in concert.But I guess if you never see her perform in actual concert then the impact of this live disc will be greater.Not to say that this disc isn't good-its wonderful, and she sounds spectacular(but nowhere near how INCREDIBLE how she sounded live...ok, I'll shut up now).

If you love music which falls under a genre called simply beautiful music then you simply cannot fall in love with this subtley beautiful disc.Every number is sublime-Lara's delivery is wondrous-she has the voice that every diva can dream of, but unlike many other singers who shout for all its worth, Lara knows that subtlety can pay off big time; she never milks her vocals for all their worth and focuses more on trnascending emotion and meaning and feeling than showing off how many notes she can sing per minute-and believe me that she has every right to do that, with her range and prowess and whatnot.

This whole CD is in French, and I don't speak a word, but,(and this is a true testament to Lara's power as a singer) I feel every word coming from her mouth-I genuinely feel lifted by her,I repeat beautiful singing, and deeply felt deliverance.And if you like fast,brash and loud music which is the equivalent of the modern American blockbuster, well, you definately will not find it here.Every song is a slow ballad with nothing more than piano, and the occational swelling string accompanying it.And even if you're not like me, and you prefer more upbeat music, I believe that you will nonetheless be able to fall in love with En Toute Entime because the music is as stunning,melodicaly lyrical and richly emotive as they come.And if you associate the word ballad with Mariah and Whitney, think again, because Lara has a much quieter,much more subtle approach.Not a single number is overblown, or melodramatic-and the accompaniment is a wonderful melodic counterpart and helps reveal the music's beauty even more.If you're familiar with Charles Aznavour or French chanson, then that should give you a clue as to how the music sounds.And even though every song is a slow tempo one, don't be fooled.Every song is different from the last; there are quite a few remakes, and even an opera number which Lara pulls of with breathtaking ease.

I won't blab anymore.If you like good music, then get this album and drown in its simpleness,its beauty,it sweet sublimity and soulfulness; and Lara's awe-inspiring vocal talent/And(and I don't care if you've never heard of her in your life), if you have to sell your soul, you HAVE to see this woman live.I can't express how incredible that experience will be.Lara is so good-she serves as more proof that, just as with film nowadays, whilst some tripe gets played out,awarded, and talked about, the truly inspiring,breathtaking, and unforgettable talent that real artistic lovers are searching for are to be found far away from the mainstream world.

"En Toute Intimité" is mostly a compilation of songs from "Nue" and "Pure," with a few new songs. These newer songs are mostly Italian, Josh Groban-esque songs that are rather different from her usual work. The songs from her other CDs are accompanied by a piano or violin and are more mellow than the original versions. In the song, "S'en Aller," Lara sings with a nasally, childish voice at the end, which, in my opinion, ruins the entire song. While I am always impressed with Lara's talent (and it is evident in this album), this CD is not one of her best.