Helmut Lotti Goes Classic - The Red Album / 1995 in Cape Town, Western Cape for sale

Soort:
DVD
Soort:
Musical
In 1995 Helmut Lotti was industriously preparing a live album full of lushly orchestrated versions of old pop-and rock standards, when Luciano Pavarotti distracted him. To be more precise, Pavarotti?s then hit Caruso (originally from Lucio Dalla) distracted him. As Helmut had some concerts with a symphonic orchestra lined up, he thought he might as well have a go at singing that ?damn? Caruso number himself. The rest, you could say, is history.
That same year, HELMUT LOTTI goes CLASSIC was recorded live at the Antwerp Queen Elisabeth theatre. This album would later be re-recorded in the studio, with quite a few alterations to the songs and presently renamed THE RED ALBUM, a reference to the colour of the stage carpet that went everywhere the album went. Aside from the obvious Caruso, you will also find other well-known light-classical pieces. Input for the repertoire came from radio people with knowledge of operetta, Russian choir music and folklore, amongst them the beyond praised Marc Brillouet.
The objective with THE RED ALBUM was to bring classical music to a large, mainstream audience. In order to achieve this, Helmut and his producer worked alongside arranger Wim Bohets to give the songs more of a pop feel, but without over-polishing. So as not to stray too far from his comfort zone, Helmut tried singing the classics in a non-classical way, for instance by inserting some English lyrics into Italian or Russian songs.
Finally, to keep Elvis alive, Helmut adorned the classically arranged Torna a Surriento with the lyrics to Elvis? Surrender. You know: ?So, my darling, please surrender. All your love so warm and tender.?
HELMUT LOTTI goes CLASSIC was a resounding success, being certified twelve times platinum, thus making it the best selling album ever in Belgium.
dvd
HELMUT LOTTI GOES CLASSIC is also available as a dvd. The dvd features both Helmut Lotti?s original baptism of fire, as captured by VRT in the Queen Elisabeth theatre, and a later concert, shot by VTM in The Grand Place of Brussels during the summer of 2003. Helmut had spent half a week there for the recording of POP CLASSICS in SYMPHONY.