Elvis Costello is no stranger to the classical crossover. From his Juliet Letters album with the Brodsky Quartet to his collaboration with John Harle, the songwriter has found ways to channel his enthusiasm for classical music into a more pop-friendly format. On For the Stars, Costello takes yet another step in that direction, providing songs, production and even the occasional duet vocal to frame the heavenly voice of Sweden's classical mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie Von Otter.

Von Otter's angelic delivery sits elegantly atop a smartly constructed group of chamber arrangements that appropriately meld pop sensibilities with semi-classical convention. Costello and Von Otter carefully selected pop songs whose melodic content was graceful enough to complement this approach, picking gems from the catalogues of Brian Wilson, Tom Waits and others. Unsurprisingly, Costello's own melodically inventive tunes meet the challenge effectively, too. Von Otter's takes on 'Baby Plays Around,' 'Shamed Into Love,' and other Costello compositions open the songs to new realms of sonic and emotional possibility. Recorded at Atlantis Grammophon AB, Stockholm, Sweden on October 9-21, 2000 & January 15-21. Includes liner notes by Elvis Costello & Anne Sofie Von Otter.

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Anne Sofie von Otter meets Elvis Costello - For the stars 2001
(Hamburg Deutsche Grammophon)

 1. No wonder. 
 2. Baby plays around. 
 3. Go leave. 
 4. Rope. 
 5. Don't talk (put your head on my shoulder). 
 6. Broken bicycles, Junk. 
 7. The other woman. 
 8. Like an angel passing through my room. 
 9. Green song. 
10. April after all. 
11. You still believe in me. 
12. I want to vanish. 
13. For no one. 
14. Shamed into love. 
15. Just a curio. 
16. The house is empty now. 
17. Take it with me. 
18. For the stars


Personnel includes: 
Elvis Costello (vocals, baritone guitar, Lowrey organ, bass) 
Annie Sofie Von Otter (vocals)
Johan Lindstrom (acoustic & pedal steel guitars, clarinet, accordion, loops)
Svante Henryson (celtar, cello, upright bass)
Billy Bremner, Ola Gustafason (acoustic guitar)
Bebe Risenfors (clarinet, tenor saxophone, accordion)
Steve Naive (piano, celeste, organ)
Mats Schubert (piano, harmonium, Moog bass)
Bengt Forsberg (piano, Hammond B-3 organ)
Benny Andersson (piano, Synclavier)
Magnus Pierson, Michael Blair (vibraphone, bass drum, percussion).

Fleshquartet: 
Jonas Lindgren (violin, electric 5-string violin)
Orjan Hogberg (viola, electric 5-string violin)
Mattias Hellden, Sebastian Oberg (acoustic & electric cellos).