Alysia Lee, Voice Faculty "I am drawn to music with lyrics that grab my attention" says soprano Alysia Lee, who is on the voice faculty at Bloomingdale. "I will listen to a CD over and over to absorb the poetry." Alysia's musical tastes cross all style boundaries and include Broadway shows, Schubert lied, conscious rap, or "a rocking country ditty." Alysia discovers new music by reading magazines, getting suggestions from friends, and "being adventurous!" She recommends the selections below to "anyone that enjoys music that really tells a story!" Faculty bio What's on Alysia's iPod/cd player? Artist: Leontyne Price Album: Verdi and Puccini Arias (The Blue Album) Why you like this particular artist/album: This recording was Ms. Price's first album. Her voice is perfect in every way—she soars in beautiful expansive phrases and exhibits her facility with pyrotechnics that rival the Fourth of July. Her artistry is impeccable and soul stirring. In my opinion, she is the greatest soprano of our age! Favorite track(s) on the album: "Ritorna vincitor!" Leontyne Price is the premiere Aida. Her tone is luscious, warm, and incredibly exciting. Artist: Lauryn Hill Album: The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill Why you like this particular artist/album: Lauryn Hill's lyrics are heartfelt and introspective. Her vocals are raw and edgy one moment and beautiful and lyric the next. Her text is always sincere—she sings of hope, love, disappointment, and joy. Favorite track(s) on the album: "Doo Wop (That Thing)"—the Motown-esque hook and the fresh lyrics are perfectly packaged. Artist: Eileen Farrell Album: I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues Why you like this particular artist/album: Eileen Farrell, in her heyday, could be found singing Verdi heroines on the Metropolitan Opera stage on a Friday and downtown in a smoky jazz club on Saturday belting out standards. Her voice is amazing and she sings both of her favorite musical styles—opera and cabaret—with equal brilliance. This CD features music by the great Harold Arlen, who is best known for composing "Somewhere over the Rainbow." Eileen scats, belts, and soars in this rousing disc—her artistry is of the highest quality. The CD, Eileen Farrell Sings Verdi, is a good companion to this album. Favorite track(s) on the album: "Blues in the Night"—I first heard this song as a child, sung by Bugs Bunny in a Loony Tunes episode. Eileen soars high over the jazz band and delivers a heartfelt and vocally masterful performance. I also recommend "The Man I Love." This song is so closely associated with Judy Garland that it is hard to hear anyone else sing it. But, Eileen lends her full-bodied chest voice into the melody and knocks it out of the box. Album: Dreamgirls, featuring Jennifer Hudson, Beyonce, Eddie Murphy, and Jamie Foxx Why you like this particular artist/album: What could be better than a musical about the greatest hour in American popular music—the age of Motown. I had been anxiously awaiting the film for months and was not disappointed. Academy Award winner, Jennifer Hudson is unbelievable as the tragic figure Ms. Effie White. The feel good melodies pay homage to the Motor City sound and yet sound current and fresh decades later. Favorite track(s) on the album: "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" is amazing. Hudson's vocal power is unbelievable—she hits all of the soft and strong moments and delivers a perfect performance. Album: Il Trovatore, 1970 RCA recording conducted by Zubin Mehta and featuring Leontyne Price, Placido Domingo, Sherrill Milnes, and Fiorenza Cossotto. Why you like this particular artist/album: Il Trovatore is a drama on a Jerry Springer scale. It is a tale of revenge, deceit, family rivalries, passion, and murder. The music is haunting and luscious. It was the first opera that I fell in love with. This historic recording features some of the best voices of the last century. Favorite track(s) on the album: Price's "Tacea la notte placida" is elegant and soaring.