Meyerbeer: Les Huguenots

On this CD:

1. Les Huguenots, grand opera in 5 acts
Composed by Giacomo Meyerbeer
Performed by Ewald Aichberger, Justino Diaz, Kurt Equiluz, Pedro Farres, Nicolai Gedda, Harald Neukirch, Dimiter Petkov, Manfred Schenk, Jeanette Scovotti, Enriqueta Tarres
Conducted by Ernst Marzendorfer

Tracks:

Act II: Amor Ti Vieta
Act II: Che Gelinda Manina
Act III: Salut Demeure Chaste Et Pure
Act III: Di Quella Pira
Act IV: Spirto Gentil, Ne' Sogni Miei (Romanza)
Act III: Solenne In Quest'Ora
Act IV: Mi Batte Il Cor...O Paradiso!
Act I: Un Di All'Azzurro Spazio (Improvviso)
Recitar!... Vesti La Giubba
Act I: Questa O Quella
Act IV: La Donna E Mobile
Act III: Ah Si, Ben Mio
Act I: Celeste Aida
Act I: Recondita Armonia
Act III: E Lucevan Le Stelle
Act III: Della Natal Sua Terra Il Padre... O Tu Che In Seno Agl' Angeli
Act II: Magiche Note
Act II: La Fleur Que Tu M'Avais Jetee
Act I: Ah, Qual Soave Vision...Bianca Al Par Di Neve
Act II: Cielo E Mar
Act II: Nell'Ore Arcane Della Sua Lussuria... Ora E Per Sempre Addio
Un Ballo In Maschera: Act I: Di' Tu Se Fedele
Act II: Una Furtiva Lagrima

Tracks:

Act III: Je Suis Seul... Ah, Uyez, Douce Image
Act II: Chi Mi Frena In Tal Momento? (Sextett)
Act I: O Soave Fanciulla
Act III: Ella Mi Fu Rapita!...Parmi Veder Le Lagrime
Act I: Donna Non Vidi Mai
Cujus Animam
Act II: Oh! Mostruosa Colpa!... Si, Pel Ciel
Act I: Libiamo, Libiamo (Brindisi)
Ingemisco
Act II: Faiblesse De La Race Humaine!... Inspirez-Moi, Race Divine
Act III: Ah! Tout Est Bien Fini!... O Souverain, O Juge, O Pere!
Act IV: O Figli, O Figli Miei... Ah, La Paterna Mano
Act II: Pour Moi Ce Jour Est Tout Mystere
Act I: A Cette Voix Quel Trouble...Je Crois Entendre Encore
Act IV: Bella Figlia Dell'Amore (Quartett) - Giuseppe De Luca
Act II: Chi Mi Frena In Tal Momento? (Sextett) - Amelita Galli-Curci
Act I: Frondi Tenere E Belle...Ombra Mai Fu (Largo)
Act I: Studenti! Udite!
Crucifixus

Customer Reviews:

A nice overview of Caruso's legacy.......2007-01-04

Enrico Caruso was one of the first "media stars," with his recordings selling widely in the early twentieth century; he helped popularize the recording industry. He was one of the leading tenors of his day, and is regarded as one of the tops of the twentieth century (although he began serious singing in the late 19th century).

This CD features some of his "greatest hits," among which are his well reputed version of "Vesti la giubba" (from I Pagliacci, one of his signature operas); arias from Verdi's Rigoletto, including the bold "Questa o quella" and "La donna e mobile"; some of his most popular recordings from Puccini, including "E lucevan le stelle," "Recondita armonia," and "Che gelida manina." Nice additions to the CD are wonderful ensemble pieces, such as the sextet from Lucia di Lammermoor (including the voice of Luisa Tetrazzini) and the quartet from Rigoletto (with Amelita Galli-Curci).

Interesting tidbits include his first recording, from 1902, and his last, from 1920.

All in all, this is a very nice representation of his work. I'm not sure that it compares with the old LP (with him in clown outfit) that includes Rossini's nearly unsingable "La danza," among other items. But it is a terrific introduction to the art of Caruso. Anyone who has not listened to this tenor's works before would be well advised to use this as their entree to his oeuvre.

Unearthly.......2002-12-23

Forget toiling for a BMW, enjoy finer things in life.One of my personal favorites is ''Le pecheurs de perles'', but the offer is overwhelming.

If You Only Buy One Caruso . . ........2001-01-03

let this be it! Wonderful, generous selection of his singles for Victor, most of them solos, but a few duets, quartets, quintets, and a sextet. The accompanying booklet makes a great deal of including his first and last recordings, but by far the most important here is Caruso's 1907 recording of Vesti la giubba, the first classical recording to sell over a million copies in the United States. If you listen to it, you'll know why--it's every bit as melodramatic as the minstrel show singles with which it shared the top of the early twentieth-century charts.

Average customer rating:

Valuable compendium
Rareties available on CD at last!
Heavenly
WHO ELSE CAN SING LIKE THIS TODAY?

The Art of Joan Sutherland

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Odes | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Joan Sutherland: BBC-Recitals 1958, 1960, 1961
The Art of the Prima Donna
La Stupenda ~ The Supreme Voice of Joan Sutherland
Bellini - Norma / Sutherland, Tourangeau, Bonynge
The Voice of the Century

ASIN: B000654OUQ
Release Date: 2005-03-15

Customer Reviews:

Valuable compendium.......2007-01-24

This set is extremely valuable, not only as an overview of Dame Joans career but because it contains three complete LP sets that have been very hard to find. The sets are the 2 LP French opera (operetta) set, the Mozart album and the Wagner album. Although some of these do not show her to her best advantage (the Wagner set) they all have some very beautiful things and the French items are superb. The annotations and photos are interesting as well and there are some piano songs with Bonynge that are released here for the first time along with a scene from a live Covent Garden Norma.

Rareties available on CD at last!.......2006-03-29

While Joan Sutherland has recorded a number of impressive aria collections throughout the many years of her recording career, they tend to get lost in the shuffle of the countless reissues Decca/London has endlessly repackaged. While some of the original collections have appeared intact on CD--"The Art of the Prima Donna," "The Age of Bel Canto," "Love Live Forever" (her operetta collection that was originally titled "The Golden Age of Operetta"), to name a few--others are currently represented in the CD catalogue by only a few selections on discs that also include excerpts from complete opera recordings or duplicates of selections from other original collections. As a result, it has been impossible to assemble a CD collection of her recordings without a LOT of duplication, and some of the most interesting collections are still unavailable (e.g. "Command Performance" and "Serate Musicale").

While this newest set does include a lot of bits of this and that, ranging from her very first LPs to excerpts from complete recordings most Sutherland fans already have and a few "live" performances, what is perhaps most significant about it is that it features the complete contents of the "Sutherland Sings Wagner" LP--a real repertoire departure for her--and the double-LP album called "French Opera Gala" (in the U.S.--the British title was "Romantic French Arias"), neither of which, to the best of my knowledge, has been available on CD before. "Opera News" magazine once ran an article in which they asked various stars to name the one album that they felt best represented their artistry for future generations, and Dame Joan selected the "French Opera Gala," so for Sutherland fans, this is a long-awaited treat.

I'm not going to waste space saying how miraculous I consider Dame Joan's artistry. If you are familiar with her work already, you know whether you adore her or not; and if you aren't, this massive set is probably not the best place to start (that would be "The Art of the Prima Donna" album that introduced her to most listeners decades ago)--especially since this newest set doesn't contain the lyrics, a must for newcomers. Let's hope Decca/London gets around to releasing the rest of her recordings intact instead of endlessly scrambling and repackaging the same selections over and over.

Heavenly.......2006-01-31

I first heard of Dame Sutherland while on the internet while listening to a internet radio station. I was instantly a fan, her control, technique, and tone is perfectly executed and rivals the equally fantastic Maria Callas. She has a powerful voice and presence that will evoke every emotion from her listeners. Highly recommended to all Opera Diva fans.

WHO ELSE CAN SING LIKE THIS TODAY?.......2005-04-10

This is Decca's second multi disc evaluation of this fantastic singer's long career and many recordings. True that a lot on the first set is duplicated here, but there are a few exceptions here and there that make it a worthy addition. Of particular interest are the very early items of Handel and Italian baroque arias, some forgotten song recordings and a live performance of the duet from Norma. It can't be said too many times - who can sing like this today? For sheer vocalism it's hard to find anyone on the same wavelength. This set will give very young opera goers an idea of what they missed.

Average customer rating:

La Stupenda is stupendous on this recording. Don't miss it!
Sutherland is Amazing
A Phenomenal Historic Recording Newly Minted
Canary in the silver mine
Bel Canto from an angelic voice

The Art of the Prima Donna

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

La Stupenda ~ The Supreme Voice of Joan Sutherland
Joan Sutherland - The Greatest Hits
The Art of Joan Sutherland
Joan Sutherland: BBC-Recitals 1958, 1960, 1961
Very Best of

ASIN: B00004XQ8G
Release Date: 2000-10-10

Tracks:

Artaxerxes: The Soldier Tir'd
Samson: Let The Bright Seraphim
Norma: Sediziose voci ... Casta diva ... Ah! bello a me ritorna
I Puritani: Son vergin vezzosa (Polonaise)
Semiramide: Bel raggio lusinghier
I Puritani: O rendetemi la speme ... Qui la voce ... Vien, diletto
La Sonnambula: Care compagne ... Come per me sereno ... Sovra il sen
Faust: O Dieu! que de bijoux ... Ah! je ris de me voir

Tracks:

Romeo et Juliette: Ah! Je veux vivre
Otello: Mia madre aveva una povera ancella ... Piangea cantando
Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail: Martern aller Arten
La Traviata: E' strano ... Ah, fors'e lui ... Sempre libera
Hamlet: A vos jeux, mes amis
Lakme: Ah! Ou va la jeune Indue
Les Huguenots: O beau pays de la Touraine!
Rigoletto: Gualtier Malde ... Caro nome

Amazon.com

In February 1959, an unknown (well, comparatively) Australian singer appeared at Covent Garden in Franco Zeffirelli's new production of Lucia di Lammermoor and took the world by storm. The following year, Joan Sutherland went into the studio to record this reissued tribute to prima donnas of previous generations, illustrating along the way the bel canto tradition of which she was to become a leading exponent. The 16 excerpts on this digitally remastered double CD include several roles she had already sung or was on the verge of singing, from Gilda in Rigoletto, which she had sung at Covent Garden before her Lucia debut, to Norma. What a performance! The voice is fresh, remarkable in its beauty, and she makes it all sound so effortless, tossing off Handel's "Let the bright Seraphim" or the Jewel aria from Gounod's Faust as if they're the easiest things in the world. This sparkling selection of glorious singing demonstrates just why Sutherland was to remain at the top of her profession for the next 30 years and join those to whom she here pays tribute as one of the great singers of all time. --Richard Fawkes

Customer Reviews:

La Stupenda is stupendous on this recording. Don't miss it!.......2007-01-05

I originally bought "The Art of the Prima Donna" in 1963, when I was just a kid, after seeing Dame Joan's debut in "Norma" with the Vancouver Opera in October of that year, and I was completely bowled over by both her live performances and her recording. She made me an opera fan for life. I've worn out and replaced that miraculous recording since then, and now have a third version on CD.

I completely disagree with those who believe that Sutherland lost the gleam on her voice after 1961. It's true that she suffered for several years with intermittently poor diction and rhythmic lapses, but these were due to terrible medical problems and the results of serious operations that were required to restore her health. Later she recovered most of her vocal lustre and all of her enthusiasm for performing, and her diction steadily improved. Her fabulous technique remained intact until her retirement in 1990.

No singers sound as fresh at 50 as they do at 30. Just listen to how Callas sounded in her later years, when her voice had almost completely deteriorated, and her career was far shorter than Sutherland's. The fact is that Sutherland sang in public for forty years, without amplification and often in barnlike theatres, and yet she still sounded formidable when she retired. Just listen to her performance of the final aria from "Lucrezia Borgia" on YouTube. I heard her debut in that role, again in Vancouver, shortly before that Covent Garden performance, and can attest that she was still in fabulous voice at the age of 53 and her coloratura remained spectacular.

What "The Art of the Prima Donna" gives us is the memory of an unparalleled vocal phenomenon in her glorious youth, before her physical disabilities briefly interrupted her career. No singer since has created a recording that exhibits anything like the range, vocal beauty and versatility that Sutherland displayed on this historic recording--not Callas, nor Caballe, nor Sills, nor any of their recent imitators. The title of this recording was not an exaggeration. This is singing that truly revived "The Age of Bel Canto," to quote the title of another Sutherland recording. "The Art of the Prima Donna" and Sutherland's earlier recordings, if you can get them, constitute an invaluable legacy from an artist who truly restored the golden age of singing.

Sutherland is Amazing.......2006-06-29

The first thing I ever heard by Sutherland was the Bel Raggio and I was floored. The voice sounded huge but I wondered if it was a technicians trick. I heard her on stage many times. Recordings do NO JUSTICE to the hugeness of the voice. Her diction was weak and her line sometimes droopy but the warm, huge, fexible voice was amazing. I don't think she or anyone else was the Voice or Singer of the century- no voice or singer could sing every role in the repetoire. Sutherland could no more sing Brunnhilde than Flagstad could sing Lucia.

In her repertoire, JS was one of the greatest voices with an incredible technique and style that ever made recordings. This is a great CD - but some others which were issued on vinyl but to my knowledge not on CD help round out the Sutherland greatnes, viz., Command Performance, The Age of Bel Canto and the French Opera Album. She did a 2 disc set called "A Festival of Baroque Operas- There is an aria called "Barbaro, Barbaro" which is mind boggling for the speed and clarity of its coloratura. Even in 1977 at 51 yrs old her video performance of Lucrezia Borgia is amazing - it is one of the greatest performances she ever did- exciting, tender and again with that huge voice and flexibility. The last scene is amazing.

Flawless-NO Unique-WITHOUT A DOUBT!!!!!

A Phenomenal Historic Recording Newly Minted.......2005-10-08

There is not much to add to the encomiums of previous reviews. This is one of the most astounding vocal recitals, if not THE most astounding, ever recorded. It caught one of history's greatest singers in her absolute prime, before the well-known defects - mushy diction, cloudy tone, sliding into notes, enervated rhythmic sense - began to compromise her singing. (Well, ok, the diction here is not crystal clear, but mostly quite acceptable and MUCH better than it later became.)

One wonders if any other soprano in history ever sang so fast, so high and so loud while always preserving such a full, golden, round sound. Sutherland was a genuine vocal phenomenon, and even those who don't generally care for her singing surely must find their jaws on the floor repeatedly during this recital. Every selection has something treasurable. My personal favorites: "A soldier tir'd," "Bel raggio lusinghier," "Qui la voce," "Come per me sereno," the "Hamlet" Mad Scene, the Bell Song, and "O beau pays."

The remastering is superb, enabling us to hear Sutherland's voice in all its pristine glory. The engineers have even managed to mitigate the rumble of Underground trains (the Picadilly Line?) that were a perpetual problem in Kingsway Hall, although I was glad to hear that the loud yell in the distance one hears during the "Croce e delizia" section of "Ah, fors'e lui" is still there; by now it is an old friend, and I would miss it.

Canary in the silver mine .......2005-09-20

This is a good compilation, and Sutherland was captured at the right time, before she went completely mushy dictionwise and lost her vocal sheen. The remastered sound is very good, too, spectacular for a recording from the 1960s.
However, after digesting this CD for several weeks, I still have a mixed response to all these Stupendous vocalistics.
The beginning is the main sour note- Arne is tired, with often imprecise, behind the beat coloratura, quite unlike the rest of Sutherland's output, and Let the Bright Seraphim is unbelievably leaden- the orchestra in particular sounds awful, and clunky. I can't comment on ornamentation here because I didn't detect any. This is a poor man's Seraphim, only impressive if you never heard any other versions, and Sutherland's voice is wasted in this piece.
This CD really picks up with Casta Diva, a dazzling showcase for Sutherland's voice. I was very impressed with Sutherland's performance as Norma in this recording- what happened to her in later years, when her "acting" was limited to, as she herself described it, wearing a "generally pained expression" and singing without much color or feeling?
Pieces from I Puritani are great, then we get excellent Rossini, wonderful Jewel Song, and then sparkling Juliet and very effective, beautiful and dramatically involved Desdemona.
And then- another fly in the ointment, Marten Aller Arten. This is one of my favourite arias and I can be very unforgiving when it comes to its performance, plus I like Konstanze to be really angry and wired, which is sort of opposite of what Joan does. This is a pretty, chirpy Marten, and she works hard on her German- way too hard actually, she seems to be slowing down trying to pronounce it, and still "Ich verlache" and "mich" turn into "Ich ve-ayee" and "meeeh", plus she does not sound as secure on top as I would expect, with a metallic high C. She picks up at the very end, putting some feeling into the sound, then topples again... This is a hit and miss one.
Fortunately the rest of the CD is filled with sparklers more in Sutherland's vein. Violetta is really great, with a fantastic high E, Ophelia is nice, Lakme is vocally one of the best I have ever heard, the dull Meyerbeer aria is made interesting and shimmery- that fabulous trill is finally put to work after many tracks of underuse- and then it all ends with a most charming Gilda.
It's not the greatest vocal performance ever put on vinyl/plastic/megabites, but overall, a good, historical set to add to your collection of opera recitals and soprano specials.

Bel Canto from an angelic voice.......2005-04-19

There are only a few soprano-recitals that are absolutely essential and must be in every opera collector's collection. The art of the primadonna, does it qualify? Oh yes indeed and here's why. Joan Sutherland had one of the most brilliant and beautiful voices in recorded history, combine that with an excellent technique, high notes that sparkle like stars and coloratura of angelic quality and you get what Joan Sutherland was in 1961. To describe only a few favourites:

2. Samson, oratorio, HWV 57 Let the bright Seraphim
Composed by George Frideric Handel
with Joan Sutherland

A sparkling and intense interpretation of this well known yet hardly ever magnificently performed piece. Lucid, beautiful and technically impeccable.

3. Norma, opera Sediziose voci... Casta diva... Ah! bello
Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
with Joan Sutherland

Surely her best studio-recording of this killer-aria. She is one of the few Normas who masters the recitativo without cracking or sounding strained, yet full of authority and intelligent drama. The Casta Diva itself is fluent, the make-or-break coloratura wonderfully executed. As for the cabaletta, not since young Callas in 1949 have I heard this piece sung so beautifully! Amazing high notes crown a cabaletta that broke more than one famous Norma before.

6. I Puritani, opera O rendetemi la speme... Qui la voce... Vien, diletto
Composed by Vincenzo Bellini

A Bellinian madscene at its finest. Once again only Callas in 1949 can be compared to this wonder of a recording. Callas too found darker colours and more intensity. (Dolore e passione as described in the score) Sutherland may lack these but she sings it with her own sense for drama which is uniquely sublime.

10. Otello, opera Mia madre aveva una povera ancella... Piangea cantando
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
with Joan Sutherland

An interesting and excellent choice. There are pictures of Joan Sutherland as Desdemona and what a pity that no complete recording of her performances survived. I find her Desdemona to be far more convincing than Tebaldi because she sounds more fragile and elegant, plus she has that silvery tone of innocence that I don't hear in Tebaldi's golden, sensual voice. Excellent in the floating lines, beautiful and tender in the cantabile.

16. Rigoletto, opera Gualtier Maldè... Caro nome
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
with Joan Sutherland

This can be compared to Maria Callas' live-performance of this piece and, being in excellent sound, might be preferred. (Callas was excellent in the studio as well, yet in 1955 she was less daring and defying) Stunningly intense in the cantabile and brilliant in the coloratura-passages. Far better than her famous performance with Pavarotti where she had lost the youthful, silvery sound that made her earlier Gilda so loveable.

I do not adore her as much in French opera and La Traviata or anything German but that doesn't mean that her singing was anything but amazing, just a personal preference. In short: Buy it and discover why Joan Sutherland is indeed La Stupenda!

Ruth Ann Swenson - Positively Golden ~ Colaratura Arias

Average customer rating:

Swenson Coloratura?
A nice introduction to Ruth Ann Swenson
A True Successor
It's only showbiz, but she is real good at it!
Positively golden...!

Ruth Ann Swenson - Positively Golden ~ Colaratura Arias
Gaetano Donizetti , Giacomo Meyerbeer , Vincenzo Bellini , Charles Gounod , Nicola Rescigno , London Philharmonic Orchestra , and Ruth Ann Swenson
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Ruth Ann Swenson - Con Amore ~ Italian Opera Arias / Rudel, London SO
Ruth Ann Swenson - i carry your heart / Warren Jones
Sumi Jo - Bel Canto / Arevalo · ECO · Carella
Sumi Jo - Virtuoso Arias ~ Verdi, Rossini, Donizetti, Meyerbeer
Vesselina Kasarova - A Portrait

ASIN: B000002RTG
Release Date: 1994-08-16

Tracks:

Linda di Chamounix. Act I Recitative and Cavatina: Ah! tardi troppo...O luce di quest' anima
Lucia di Lammermoor.Act I Cavatina: Regnava nel silenzio...Quando, rapito in estasi
I Puritani.Act II Aria: O rendetemi la speme...Que la voce... Vien. diletto
La Sonnambula. Act I Scene and Cavatina: A te diletta... Come per me sereno... Sovra il sen
Romeo et Juliette. Act I Ariette: Je veux vivre
L'Africaine. Act I Romance: Adieu, Mon doux revage... Pour celle qui M'est chere
Les Huguenots. Act II Aria: O Beau pays de la touraine!...A ce Mot seuls'anime
Dinorah. Act II Aria: Ombre legere, qui suis mes pas ( Shadow Song)

Customer Reviews:

Swenson Coloratura? .......2007-03-22

WHEN ARE WE EVER GOING TO HEAR THE BEAUTY OF THE HUMAN VOICE? PLEASE, Listen to the Coloraturas of the Golden Age. This young lady's singing is muddled, hooty, there is no center to the tone and the articulation is muffled. Absolutely no brilliance to the voice. These singers, and even moreso their teachers, should listen to Nezhdanova, Muzio and more. Alas, it is too late - the Golden Age of Singing will not return as long as the correct frequency of the human voice is not developed. 1 Star for the conductor

A nice introduction to Ruth Ann Swenson.......2007-02-09

Ruth Ann Swenson takes on some standard coloratura roles from Bellini and Donizetti and then some examplars from the French repertoire (Gounod and Meyerbeer). In this CD, we see a number of examples of the standard technique of Bellini and Donizetti, with a cabaletta following a slower work. As the Wikipedia puts it: The cabaletta is a "form of aria within 19th century Italian opera. It usually refers specifically to the second half of a double aria: a faster or more rhythmic movement following a cantabile section. . . . Classic examples include "Vien diletto, è in ciel la luna" from I Puritani by Bellini (1835). . . ."

Some samples of her style from this CD. In Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor," we are treated to Swenson's version of "Regnava nel silenzio. . .Quanto rapito in estasi." Hers is a somewhat darker, heavier voice than that of Dessay or Sills (more similar to Netrebko and Callas in that regard). Still the voice is agile; her trill technique is adequate but not noteworthy. In the cabaletta, she shows agility and her florid technique is fine. She is able to hit the higher notes well. In the repeat of "Quanto rapito in estasi," she is fine, but not at the level of top coloraturas such as Dessay or Sills or Sutherland.

Bellini's "I Puritani" features the standard cantabile-cabaletta structure as per the Wikipedia's description above, "Qui la voce. . .Vien, diletto." Classic coloratura territory. In the first part, she shows a nice smoothly sung line. In the cabaletta, she hits the high notes cleanly, Her florid technique is fine but not exciting. Her trills are adequate but not wonderful. In the repeat, her ornamentation moves up a jot. All in all, a competently done--but not exciting--version.

From Bellini's "La Sonnambula," we have "A ti deletta. . .Sovra il sen." Again, Swenson does a technically sound version. There is a very nice trill early on. She floats some higher notes very well. The cabaletta is fine, her florid technique is good, she shows off in this cut a nice trill, and she closes out with a well executed high note.

All in all, Ruth Ann Swenson comes off as a good coloratura soprano with fine technique. She lacks some of the firepower and technique of the top performers, but this is a nice CD in the final analysis.

A True Successor.......2004-03-15

Ruth Ann Swenson is one of the finest coloratura sopranos singing today. Her voice is a seamless, pearly-timbred instrument; her technique is rock-solid. In her first solo CD (recorded in 1993) Swenson concentrates on the bel canto repertory and gives us some of the most assured singing in this since Joan Sutherland. My favorite track is the Act I aria from LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR, in which Swenson conveys Lucia's horror in a stream of eerily pure tone, which then sparkles in the cabaletta, "Quando, rapito in estasi." In both beauty of sound and coloratura virtuosity, Swenson is a very worthy successor to Sutherland and Montserrat Caballe. "Positively Golden" is, so far, my favorite coloratura recital next to Sutherland's "The Art of the Prima Donna."

It's only showbiz, but she is real good at it!.......2001-12-01

Ruth Ann Swenson is like Michael Jordan - a supremely gifted & disciplined athlete, & also a freak of nature. The great basketball player shatters the backboard, the colortura soprano shatters the wine glass. Composers use the colortura aria to show off a certain kind of composing that requires an unreal voice. It's strictly showbiz. Conveying a character - that demonstration of peculiar, exaggerated emotions many opera fans call "acting" - is completely optional. So just crank up the volume, sit back, & let Ms. Swenson raise goosebumps on your neck. That's the job Gounod, Bellini, Donizetti & Meyerbeer gave her to do. & boy, does she do it swell!

Positively golden...!.......2000-06-08

I first heard Ruth Ann Swenson when she was in the Merola Opera Program at SFO, saw and heard her on several occasions that year and have followed her career with interest since then. This album showcases the beauty and perfection of Miss Swenson's voice, and immediately became one of my most favorite coloratura soprano arias recordings.

Average customer rating:

Very solid repertoire and great voice
The One & Only - Corelli
i came i saw i kneeled
FRANCO CORELLI AT HIS BEST!
SPLENDID!!!

Heroes - Franco Corelli
Giacomo Puccini , Vincenzo Bellini , Giacomo Meyerbeer , Charles Gounod , Umberto Giordano , Ruggero Leoncavallo , Nicolai Gedda , and Franco Corelli
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Very Best of Franco Corelli
Tebaldi and Corelli: Great Opera Duets
Franco Corelli - Songs and Arias
The Singers: Franco Corelli
Nessun Dorma ~ 20 Great Tenor Arias / Pavarotti, Carreras, Domingo, Bergonzi, Aragall, Björling, Di Stefano, Kollo, Corelli, Del Monaco...

ASIN: B000002SAP
Release Date: 1997-10-14

Tracks:

Aida: Si Quel Guerrier Io Fossi !...Celeste Aida
La Favorita: Favorita Del Re !...Spirito Gentil
La Gioconda: Cielo E Mar
Manon Lescaut: Donna Non Vidi Mai
Adriana Lecouvreur: L'anima Ho Stanca
TOSCA: Recondite Armonia
TOSCA: E Lucevan Le Stelle
Il Trovatore: Ah Si Ben Mio...Di Quella Pira
Norma: Meco All'altare Di Venere... Me Protegge, Me Difende
Gli Ugonotti: Non LungeDella Torre...Bianca Al Par Di Neve Alpina
Romeo et Juliette: L'amour, L'amour... Ah Leve Toi Soliel !
Cavaleria Rusticana: Intanto Amici...Viva Il Vino Spumeggiante
Cavalleria Rusticana: Mamma, Quel Vino E Generoso
Andrea Chenier: Colpito Qui M'avete...Un Di All'azzuro Spazio
Andrea Chenier: Legray !... Andrea Chenier !...Si Fu Soldato
Andrea Chenier: Come Un Bel Di Di Maggio
Pagliacci: Recitar !...Vesti La Giubba
Turandot: Nesun Dorma

Customer Reviews:

Very solid repertoire and great voice.......2007-07-19

I have a 2-CD set from EMI's "Great Tenors" series, and all of the "Heroes" selections are on it, plus other non-operatic literature. Corelli's voice is thrilling. Stylistically, I wish he would scoop less, i.e., occasionally just go nail a high note without sliding up into it. But that doesn't detract significantly. I think other tenors sing more smoothly, lyrically, and sometimes musically, but for any "heroic" role I can't imagine a more manly exciting tenor than Corelli. And he looked good in those parts too, tall and fit, unlike many other tenors.

The One & Only - Corelli .......2005-05-01

I have been reading the rave reviews of this CD and listening to the samples and after doing so I am going to purchase another Corelli CD. I am never disappointed in his voice. He was and is the greatest tenor of all time - - - bar none. Once again, B R A V O Corelli!!

i came i saw i kneeled.......2003-04-12

theres nothing else to say i was struck by the forces of natur and and found greatnes. first there was caruso then bigorling then lanza now corelli what more is there to say.

FRANCO CORELLI AT HIS BEST!.......2002-12-20

This compilation of moments from various complete opera studio recordings gives a very good idea about the legendary tenor Franco Corelli. Unfortunately most of the complete sets have one or two singers who are not ideal, therefore only a few opera recordings with Corelli can be recommended as first-choice recordings. EMI here has put together most of Corelli's best moments! He is heard in his glorious prime! Endless breath, electrifying high notes and power, power, power characterise his singing. My only objection is that his stentorian voice can sometimes become tiring. If only, however, we had such a tenor today! Of all the roles here, his Pollione and Manrico impressed me the most but everything else is also amazing. Bravo!

SPLENDID!!!.......2002-12-02

If you have not heard Franco Corelli, this cd is a good start. It gives a fine portrait of Mr.Corelli. It`s one of my most-played records ever. It's so exciting. But watch out! After listening to it, you can find many other tenors a little bit boring if you`re comparing. Of course Corelli had his faults he too and they are easy to find, but when you hear the thrilling sound of this abnormal tenorvoice, his brilliant boldly high notes, his intensity, they are very easy to ignore.
So if you`re looking for a different singer, buy this one and
you`re gonna be excited!

Meyerbeer - Gli Ugonotti / Sutherland · Corelli · Simionato · Teatro alla Scala · Gavazzeni

Average customer rating:

Breathtaking
Unbelievably Glorious Singing
Musically inaccurate to the max
Really!
A review plus corrections

Meyerbeer - Gli Ugonotti / Sutherland · Corelli · Simionato · Teatro alla Scala · Gavazzeni
Giacomo Meyerbeer , Gianandrea Gavazzeni , Tullio Serafin , Ernst Marzendorfer , Joan Sutherland , Franco Corelli , Fiorenza Cossotto , Vladimiro Ganzarolli , Giulietta Simionato , Giorgio Tozzi , Giacomo Lauri-Volpi , Nicola Zaccaria , and Nicolai Gedda
Manufacturer: Gala
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Sutherland, Joan | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Opera & Vocal | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Pizzetti: Assassinio nella cattedrale
Pacini: Saffo
Donizetti: Belisario
Rossini: L'Assedio di Corinto
Cilea: Adriana Lecouvreur

ASIN: B000001XNY
Release Date: 2000-06-06

Tracks:

Gli Ugonotti: Atto Uno: Scena 1: Preludio
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Uno: Scena 1: Nei bei di di giovinezza
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Uno: Scena 2: Qui sotto il ciel della Turrena
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Uno: Scena 2: Piacer della mensa
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Uno: Scena 2: Versate in abbondanza
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Uno: Scena 2: Non lungi dalle torri.....
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Uno: Scena 3: Qual mai strana figura - io comparir qui veggo?
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Uno: Scena 3: Ma che? ben osservando, mi ricorda
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Uno: Scena 3: Piff, paff, piff, paff!
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Uno: Scena 4: Del Castello al Signor
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Uno: Scena 5: L' avventura e singolare
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Uno: Scena 6: Scoglier si dee l'imen
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Uno: Scena 7: Nel mio Castel...Salute, o Cavalieri
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Uno: Scena 7: Talor soverchio merto anche importuna!
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Uno: Scena 8, 9, 10: Lieuto suol della Turrena
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Uno: Scena 8, 9, 10: Che la lotta fatal dell'empie sette
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Uno: Scena 8, 9, 10: Chi giunge qui?...deh, vedi
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Uno: Scena 11: Egli vien, egli vien!
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Uno: Scena 12: Raul, la vostra fe
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Uno: Scena 12: Scender nel mio petto
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Uno: Scena 13: Signora! Ancor qui siete, Urbano?
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Uno: Scena 14: Onore alla piu bella!
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Uno: Scena 12: Per l'onor, per la fe

Tracks:

Gli Ugonotti: Atto Terzo: Scena 1: Ecco il giorno di festa
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Terzo: Scena 1: Vergin del Cielo
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Terzo: Scena 1: Su, venite, siamo qua
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Terzo: Scena 1: Per compire un voto di pieta
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Terzo: Scena 2: Tornate alla vostra magion
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Terzo: Scena 3: Nell'orror di cupa notte
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Terzo: Scena 3: Ah l'infido! quest' anima amante
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Terzo: Scena 3: Tu m'intendesti?...Addio...
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Terzo: Scena 4: Su, su, Marcel...se in tempo giungerem
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Terzo: Scena 4: Alto la!... Oh tradimento!
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Terzo: Scena 5, 6: Alt, ola! rispettate
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Quattro: Scena 1, 2: Alfin son sola, sola col mio dolor
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Quattro: Scena 3: Di Caterina un cenno tutti
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Quattro: Scena 3: La causa e santa e in petto
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Quattro: Scena 3: Su vuoi fidar puo il re?
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Quattro: Scena 4: E voi che rispondete
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Quattro: Scena 5: Gloria a Dio vendicatore
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Quattro: Scena 6: Raul...ove vai tu?
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Quattro: Scena 6: Stringe il periglio
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Quattro: Scena 6: Non ascolti un suon funebre?

Tracks:

Gli Ugonotti: Atto Quattro: Scene 1 & 2: Sei tu, mio buon Marcel
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Quattro: Scene 1 & 2: Non vedi tu che a speme il cor si appresta?
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Quattro: Scene 1 & 2: Nell' unir vostre man
Gli Ugonotti: Atto Quattro: Scene 3: Chi va la?
Gli Ugonotti: Bonus Track: Non lungi dalle torri...
Gli Ugonotti: Bonus Track: Piff, paff, piff, paff!
Gli Ugonotti: Bonus Track: Lieuto suol della Turrena - che la lotta fatal dell'empie sette
Gli Ugonotti: Bonus Track: Raul...ove vai tu?
Gli Ugonotti: Act 2: Duo: O ciel, ou suis - je?
Gli Ugonotti: Act 2: Preux doit vivre sa belle
Gli Ugonotti: Act 2: Ah! Si j'etais coquette
Gli Ugonotti: Act 4: Grand Duo: O ciel! Ou courez - vous?
Gli Ugonotti: Act 4: Tu l'as dit!
Gli Ugonotti: Act 4: Plus d'amour! Plus d'ivresse!

Customer Reviews:

Breathtaking.......2006-02-17

This is a magnificent performance that was luckily captured on recording. My only quip is that the thunderous ovation following the big Corelli/Simionato duet (which has to be heard to be believed) was cut. This is live La Scala at its most exciting. You should not buy this recording for an accurate, complete realisation of Les Huguenots. It is sung in Italian and is heavily cut and it is glorious!

Unbelievably Glorious Singing.......2005-06-23

First of all, I CANNOT believe all of the caterwauling that these ignorant reviewers have bestowed upon this historic evening of singing. Did you fools LISTEN to this recording??? Who cares that the score is cut (my God, Hugenots uncut is over 4 hrs. long!) This is passionate, glorious opera singing that I shall probably never hear the likes of in a live performance during my lifetime. And to those who are complaining about the sound: this is NOT a studio recording! The sound is very acceptable for a live perfomance from the 60's. In short, buy this!

Musically inaccurate to the max.......2004-08-13

I concede that Sutherland, Corelli et al are in excellent voice, but what they sing is a heavily-cut, slowed-down performance of the music. Corelli, who never had a high D, also avoids the C in the Act II duet...not that I "only" listen to music for high notes, like some folks do, but Meyerbeer wrote those notes in for dramatic purposes so they are part of the score. Sutherland herself was so upset with this performance that she finally made a complete recording of the opera (at proper tempos) two years later with her husband, Richard Bonynge, conducting.

I would, however, recommend the cut but terribly exciting Nicolai Gedda performance over this one, or Sutherland's commercial recording. The Gedda-Tarres-Shane performance is unbelievably intense!

Really!.......2004-04-18

Last night I wanted to buy a CD of Sutherland in this opera, I have a Gedda live recording which I like. So I came to this and read a lot of the reviews. Sounded pretty impressive and the price was right. It also ran a bell, so I went to the rack and found I already have this recording (duh). Okay. For two nights and days I've been listening to it. To begin with, it sounds as though it were being sung through a cell phone. The Gedda is better. Sutherland's voice is pretty, but I prefer her in other things. The review by Catharina Kuefstein is so fierce, so passionate and so well written that I love it. In fact, I like it so much that I don't want to disagree with it. But alas I do on at least one point. She says that opera (singing) is more than just vocal tricks. Well, I like vocal tricks, gymnastics, coloratura. (By the way, have you ever noticed that Gruberova (my darling operatic discovery when she first came out, what a waste) has an enraging idiosyncrasy of sliding up to her final high notes instead of leaping to them, making a clean break? Clearly she could jump if she wanted to (why doesn't she want to?), it bothers me so much that (sigh) I got rid of almost all her recordings that I had, keeping only a few Donizetti rarities that no one else has sung that I know of. Caballe, on the other hand (another one I won't listen to unless I have no choice, again on rare live Donizetti recordings) doesn't end up at all, she goes up and then drops!) But back to the opera at hand. The music is beautiful, of course, I don't think anyone in it is so ecstatically brilliant as most of these manic reviewers proclaim, the high octane cast notwithstanding, and I think most of these other reviewers would be better off if they knew a little less about music and a little more about English grammar. (Even Kuefstein, whose review I admire so much, slips.)

A review plus corrections.......2004-02-10

Here comes my review but first I want to correct several ignorant reviews here. First of all, what's this fight about the numbers of high notes? I think it's childish, immature and stupid. Who CARES about the number of high notes, this is OPERA and not a vocal tricks fest! Also, spell it right, it's VERISMO!

"I am the biggest fan of the tenor of not only this Century but of all time...going back to the era of Rubini. Franco Corelli is the emperor of tenors and he kills Bjoeling, Caruso, and Gigli."

Good lord, what's this? He never even heard Rubini and the notion that Corelli "killed" Caruso, a singer with a greater technique, more style and grandeur is just ridiculous. I love Corelli but he wasn't the greatest tenor ever.

"I'm not out to exaggerate. But these two highlights are miraculous. Sutherland, in 1962 voice with super squillo and gigantic high notes(high C's,D's,E'sand even Fs are easy for her)These notes are the size of Nilsson's, and they left me with my jaws hanging and breathless. La stupenda simply attacks every terrifying notes of Marguerite's taxing coloratura and adds her own even more difficult embellishments. Tossing trills and fiorituri, here, there, and everywhere, making even the most arduous coloratura unsingable to all other divas seem like child's play. She trills and trills all through her great scene, high above the staff and taking 64th notes as if it's nothing. Her rendition of O beau pays and its even more taxing cabaletta is just a stroll in the part for her. Sutherland's exquisite super squillo, especially the notes above the staff makes all other sopranos take up pottery or needle-point(take your pick), her trills-both high and low are what legends are made of, to shame the flute, and the fioritura so fast that the orchestra has to catch up with her, we're talking 64th notes that cover 20 seconds at a time through two octaves. Sorry, this one must be heard to believe the scope of Dame Joan's power when she was in her prime. This is bravura singing in the style never heard since the days of Malibran!"

Never in my life have I read anything like this. A) Opera is more than high notes, tricks etc. What does Sutherland do with the text? The role? Is her phrasing and diction idiomatic, how is her vocal colouring, is her style coherent and Meyerbeer-like? B) Plus Sutherland's bell like voice has nothing in common with Malibran who was a soprano sfogato. Read Stendhal's writing (He heard Malibran) or Kesting's book on the times of Bellini and Donizetti.

"If corelli is the Emperor, she is his emperess, and we know that it's the empress who rules. No wonder she is called the "Voice of the Century!"

She isn't. She's called La Stupenda. Callas was labelled "Voice of the century".

"This is Verisimo singing for the books. And this could be the most awesome live recording of an opera in the last century...Infinitely, and I repeat, infinitely superior to even the Corelli/Price Travatore... and with far superior sound."

VERISMO. Plus Meyerbeer is stylistic French Grand Opera, not VERISMO. Also, Verdi's opera is called "Il Trovatore". To compare these recordings, it's like apples and oranges.

This recording with its overblown high notes, added fioritura, bad Italian translation and totally unidiomatic cast lacks style, finesse, French grandeur and taste. A gathering of opera's big names but completely miscast. None of them had the French style of a Nicolai Gedda, a Ninon Vallin, Alain Vanzo (A SUPERB Raoul) or a George Thill for example. This elegant, stylistic grand opera is torn to pieces, dragged down as a verismo-fest with overblown high notes fights (What you can hold I can hold longer!), senseless unwritten fioritura and acuti and totally wrong style. Then there are PAINFUL cuts.

And for the low trills of Sutherland: Her low notes were never her strength and weak, hollow and mushy. Her glory was her top and her middle.

And to clear up another lie:

"Callas was asked to sing the role of Valentine vs Sutherland's Queen. She chickened out, and smartly so. For if Callas was to confront Sutherland at La Scala, Milan, Sutherland would shame Callas's and she knew it."

Tracks:

Romeo et Juliette: Ariette: Je veux vivire dans ce reve...
Faust: L'air Des Bijoux: Ah! Je ris de mi voir si belle en ce miroir!
Mignon: Recht, Polonaise et Finale: Oui, pour ce soir, je suis reine des fees
L'Etoile du Nord: C'est bien l'air que chaque matin
Hamlet: Scen et air d'Ophelie: A vos jeux, mes amis
Louise: Depuis le jour ou je suis donnee
Mireille: La Valse: O legere hirondelle, messagere fidele
Les Hugenots: Acte II, Introduction et Air: O Beux Pays de la Touraine
Manon: Gavotte: Obeissons, quant leur voix appelle
Les pecheurs de perles: Cavatine de Leila: Mi voila a seule dans la nuit
Robinson Crusoe: Conduisez-moi verss celui que j'adore

Amazon.com

Sumi Jo is an exquisite singer, in some ways a throwback to the coloraturas of old, who could dash off high, pure sounds with ease, all the while exuding charm and grace. But unlike too many of those gone warblers, Jo also pays attention to the text--even if the texts for most of these arias tend to be pretty silly. In this new recital, she concentrates on the French repertoire, tossing these jewels at us and making us grab for more. Rarities include arias from Meyerbeer's L'Etoile du Nord, with its two- and then three-flute accompaniment (Sutherland recorded it as well) and an aria from Offenbach's Robinson Crusoe (also recorded by Dame Joan, and Yvonne Kenny--but still rare); favorites are Ophelie's Mad Scene, superbly sung and characterized, Juliette's Waltz Song, all fresh and sweet, and a nicely surprising piece of Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots. It's only in Charpentier's "Depuis le jour" that Jo seems out of her weight class, though the singing is still gorgeous. This is a sure bet for fans of this repertoire and a fine way to meet Sumi Jo if you haven't already. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

great album from Sumi Jo.......2006-10-20

I'm only a recent convert of the charming opera singer Sumi Jo. This is one of my favourite albums, showcasing arias of composers including Gounod, Offenbach, Bizet, and (most surprisingly) Meyerbeer.

The Meyerbeer arias are truly something. Sumi Jo should consider doing a whole album dedicated to his works, but until then, we can savour the "Les Huguenots" and "L'Etoile du Nord" arias.

Sumi Jo's voice has a fantastic, silvery quality, best-suited to the demanding arias on show here. Hers is a precision instrument that hits each and every note perfectly; never does she slide between notes or compromise the quality of the material. Perfection is a tough thing to live up to, but Sumi Jo is perfection.

I heartily recommend this album. [Erato/Warner Music 3984-23140-2]

a chanteuse on the loose.......2002-09-06

Sumi Jo is cleary at ease with the French repetoire and she has some magical moments on this cd, the Meyerbeer stuff especially. The quality of the voice is evident, and she has a certain timbre that seems particularly suited to this literature; light, but totally controlled singing reigns throughout.

Delightful.......2002-02-05

I purchased this CD as a student of coloratura literature (specifically because of "Je suis Titania") and it is my first Sumi Jo recording. While I personally find her voice a little too bright for my taste and, occasionally, she sounds slightly unstable on the top, I still wholeheartedly recommend it. Sumi Jo is an extremely clean coloratura and has a beautiful voice, even if it is something of an acquired tasts if you are used to a more lyric sound. It is no wonder she is considered one of the best coloraturas singing today. Besides praising Sumi Jo, I have to say that this is simply a wonderful collection of music; all of it is lovely! It is truly delightful to listen to.

Very Nice!.......2002-01-17

An excellent demonstration of a beautiful voice. Sumi Jo is at her best. This is a nice purchase for any lover of fine music.

customer review.......2001-08-07

I received this CD by accident as I am not very familiar with ordering from the Internet. I pondered whether or not to open it as when it is open it cannot be returned. I am really glad that I opened it. It is wonderful. I heard about this singer on NPRand it was said that a voice like hers only happens once a century or something like that. She is truly gifted and a wonderful Coloratura soprano. I suggest this CD for anyone like myself that is a high-note junkie.

Frederica von Stade - French Opera Arias

Average customer rating:

A delight
The Supreme von Stade's Art
A beautiful performance
Frederica is my favorite singer, and this is my favorite.

Frederica von Stade - French Opera Arias
Hector Berlioz , Jules Massenet , Ambroise Thomas , Giacomo Meyerbeer , Charles Gounod , Jacques Offenbach , Frederica von Stade , and London Philharmonic Orchestra
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Von Stade, Frederica | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

A Protrait of Frederica von Stade
Frederica von Stade sings Dorumsgaard, Mahler, Ives, Poulenc and others
Frederica von Stade - Haydn, Mozart, Rossini
Frederica von Stade Sings Mozart & Rossini Arias [Hybrid SACD]
French Opera Arias (Dig)

ASIN: B00000C28R
Release Date: 1998-09-22

Tracks:

Beatrice et Benedict: Dieu ! Que viens-je d'entendre?
Werther: Va ! laisse couler mes larmes
Cendrillon: Enfin, je suis ici
La Damnation de Faust: D'amour l'ardente flamme
Mignon: Connais-tu le pays?
Les Huguenots: Nobles Seigneurs, salut !
Romeo et Juliette: Depuis hier je cherche en vain
La Grande-Duchesse de Gerolstein: Dites-lui
La Perichole: Ah ! quel diner je viens de faire

Amazon.com

Recorded at the beginning of her career in 1976, this shows Frederica Von Stade as a bright, accomplished singer with a distinctive sound, a bit softer, smaller, and fresher than her voice is now. With a selection of arias including all the best mezzo-soprano moments from Berlioz's Beatrice et Benedict, Massenet's Werther and Cendrillon, Berlioz's Damnation of Faust, and what became her great party piece, the drunk aria from Offenbach's La Perichole, everything is utterly lovely. However, this is her first try at most of this music and it shows: performances are all about voice and not about words or characterization. For those who love the voice alone. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

A delight.......2000-05-25

These French opera arias, sung by Frederica von Stade, my favorite mezzo-soprano, were recorded early in her career, and they are a delight. They may not all show quite the expressiveness she developed later, but still there's that lovely mezzo voice, unlike any other and always a pleasure to hear.

The Supreme von Stade's Art.......1999-04-02

This CD shows the art of a great mezzo in a repertoire that she is better than many french opera singers!!!!

A beautiful performance.......1999-01-09

I really do not know why this CD was not released before. Here is Frederica Von Stade in peak form, singing near deffinitive versions of great French arias. Her voice is ideally fitted for the material. She has agility, range and a beautiful middle register, apart from great French diction. Highlights of the CD are "Enfin, je suis ici" from Massenet's Cendrillon, "Connais-tu le pays?" from Thomas' Mignon and the two Offenbach arias.

Frederica is my favorite singer, and this is my favorite........1998-11-16

Rich sensuous heartfealt songs by my favorite alto for many years, now on CD.

Ben Heppner - Airs Francais / LSO, Myung-Whun Chung

Average customer rating:

Very nice recital of French arias
Great recital, some arias are not so great
Fine French Fare
Good, but something missing...

Ben Heppner - Airs Francais / LSO, Myung-Whun Chung
Hector Berlioz , Giacomo Meyerbeer , Fromental Halévy , Jules Massenet , Myung-Whun Chung , Ben Heppner , and London Symphony Orchestra
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Ben Heppner - Great Tenor Arias
Ben Heppner - German Romantic Opera
Heppner Sings Wagner
Rolando Villazon - Gounod · Massenet Arias
My Secret Heart - Songs of Parlour, Stage and Screen

ASIN: B00005RDBC
Release Date: 2001-11-13

Tracks:

BERLIOZ: "Inutiles regrets"
Nature immense
Merci, doux crepuscule!
Seul pour lutter
Ah! je vais l'aimer
HALEVY: "Rachel, quand du Seigneur"
MASSENET: "Ah, qu'il est loin, mon pays"
O Souverain, o juge, o pere
O noble lame etincelante
MEYERBEER: "O paradis"
Plus blanche que la blanche hermine
Roi du ciel
ROUGET DE LISLE: "La Marseillaise" (arr. Berlioz)

Amazon.com

Ben Heppner is our leading dramatic tenor, but he's also a skilled recitalist; he triumphed in Colin Davis's concert recording of Berlioz's Les Troyens. His first solo recording for Deutsche Grammophon demonstrates his skill in the French repertory. Almost half the disc is given to Berlioz arias, done with power and stylistic comfort. His artistry differs from the traditional French tenor; the voice is beefier, some of the delicacy is lost. But the tradition ceased to exist by the 1970s, and Heppner compares favorably with anyone on the scene today. His voice is darker than those most often heard in these arias, so while it may surprise at first in "Nature immense," here, as elsewhere, there's a rightness about his singing that's compelling. His "O Souverain" is sensitively done, and the wonderful Halévy aria (the entire scene is given) is done without the verismo disfigurements of Alagna's on his French aria disc for EMI. Myung-Whun Chung's sympathetic conducting makes for a classy partnership. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

Very nice recital of French arias.......2003-04-06

Ben Heppner is a great tenor. Contrary to some reports, he is not a heldentenor. He is an unusually large-voiced lyric. His voice is very fine indeed. This recital contains some nice renditions of French arias. A few arias were not that great. He has the pronunciation down pat. I loved the aria from "La Juive". Heppner is perfect for the role of Eléazar. The aria benefits greatly from having the chorus present and the inclusion of the rousing and tuneful cabaletta. The "Le Cid" arias also benefitted from the chorus being present. Some high notes of his are quite unpleasant. One such high note was the high D in the "Benvenuto Cellini" aria. His voice is really not light and high-placed enough for some of the arias he sings. One example is the "Les Huguenots" aria. Nicolai Gedda is perfect for that aria. Anyway, this recital is, on the most part, enjoyable.

PS. There is a serious problem in the booklet. Most of the arias have misaligned texts and translations. This makes following the singing very difficult.

Great recital, some arias are not so great.......2003-02-14

Ben Heppner is an immensely talented singer with a great voice and excellent musicianship. This recital disc of French arias and the French national anthem is a great introduction to his art. Already a great Wagnerian singer, he is branching out into new territory. I think the French repertory fits him very well. I did not care much for some of the arias. This was true for the "Sapho" aria and the two arias from "Le Cid". My favorite aria is "Rachel, quand du Seigneur la grâce tutélaire" from "La Juive". It is dark, brooding, and very beautiful. Heppner sings it amazingly well. He avoids unnecessary sentiment in this aria that is so often subjected to Italian verismo style. I also like the aria from "Benvenuto Cellini". It is very nice and contains wonderful music. Heppner performs Vasco de Gama's aria from "L'Africaine" very well. You can sense his wonder and marvel of the new land on which he has just been stranded. The French national anthem is given a rousing rendition. He is given excellent support from conductor Myung-Whun Chung and the London Symphony Orchestra. I wish he had included more popular arias from more well-known French operas. Two nice suggestions are "Asile héréditaire" from "Guillaume Tell" and "Vois ma misère, hélas!" from "Samson et Dalila". Despite my objections to some of the material chosen for this disc, it is still a great recording.

Fine French Fare.......2002-03-22

Canadian tenor Ben Heppner is certainly one of the finest singers on the current operatic scene. Despite his tendency to slightly squeeze the voice on top rather than allow it to bloom, he truly has a lovely vocal quality, full of warmth and color, along with a superior musical intelligence with which he has begun to bring a deepening sense of dramatic conviction to his interpretions over the last few years. On this disc, he succeeds greatly in the arias from operas which are within his vocal fach: Les Troyens, La Juive, El Cid, L'Africaine, and Le prophète. In particular, it is joy to hear the ardor and longing in his Enée (his complete traversal of the role with the LSO recently won a Grammy), the world-weariness of his Eléazar without the Italianate sobbing which has become de rigueur, and the victorious triumph of Jean de Leyde. Though Mr. Heppner's sense of lyricism serves him well, the other selections really require a different type of tenor, one whose vocal quality is lighter and more flexible in terms of dynamics and shading. Nonetheless, this is a fine recording, with exciting contributions from both the London Symphony Orchestra and conductor Myung-Whun Chun.

Good, but something missing..........2001-12-28

Ben Heppner is probably the best heldentenor around, but a great German singer does not a great French singer make. All the notes are there but the headtones are missing. Sometimes, Heppner sounds like he is really pushing it on the high notes. A French tenor would have known to float them rather than belt them out like a good Wagnerite. This is most obvious in the Berlioz and Halevy selections. Things improve a little in Massenet and then they improve a lot in Meyerbeer. That's to be expected because Meyerbeer was a German trying to write Italian opera for Paris, not a real "French" composer. The Massenet selections from LeCid are spectacular, but part of the effect is from the chorus and large orchestra. The London Symphony Orchestra,led by Myung-Whun Chung,is an asset on this disc. It is consistently full and it gives silky support to the singer. The final item is a rousing version of the Berlioz arrangement of "La Marseillaise." Everyone pulls this off well and it makes a great ending for the disc. Maybe somebody could do the same kind of arrangement for the Star Spangled Banner. It would be an impressive alternative to the pop-soul-country versions that seem to be the norm these days.

Nicolai Gedda - French and Russian Arias & Songs

Average customer rating:

Gedda in 60's and early 70's
A recording that does Gedda justice
It is the voice of destiny.
This is some of the finest singing ever recorded
What a master singer!!!

Nicolai Gedda - French and Russian Arias & Songs

Manufacturer: Gala
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The Very Best of Nicolai Gedda
The Very Best of Alfredo Kraus
Carlo Bergonzi - Italian Songs ~ Bellini · Verdi · Danza · Tosti · Donizetti · Rossini · Mascagni · Puccini
Schumann: Dichterliebe / Wunderlich, Giesen
The Very Best of Franco Corelli

ASIN: B000001XMK
Release Date: 2000-06-06

Tracks:

La Dame Blanche: Viens, gentille Dame
Faust: Quel trouble inconnu me penetre! - Salut! demeure chaste et pure
Romeo et Juliette: Ah! leve- toi, soleil
Les Huguenots: Non loin des vieilles tour- Plus blanche que la blanche hermine
Carmen: La fleur que tu m'avais jetee
Lakme: Prendre le dessin- Fantasie aux divins mensonges
La Damnation de Faust: Merci, doux crepuscule!
Les Troyens: Inutiles regrets!- Ah! quand viendra l'instant des supremes adieux
Prince Igor: Is it thou, Vladimir? (in Russian)
Jevgeny Onegin: Kuda, kuda, kuda vi udalilis (Where, Oh Where Have You Gone?)
Where Are You, Little Star?
The Garden By The Don
The He-Goat
In This Moonlit Night
At The Ball
Legend
Don Juan's Serenade
The Song Of The Young Gypsy
How Fair This Spot Or Hill Is Beauty

Customer Reviews:

Gedda in 60's and early 70's.......2003-08-21

Nicolai Gedda, a vocal wonder of the post-WWII Europe is in great form in live selections presented on this CD.
The French opera arias, particularly Berlioz and Gounod, required stellar high B's and C's plus ability to shift the registers seemlessly. Well, Gedda dispite his accent, was indeed perfect for this material. He will make you hold your breath every time he hits those high notes and each of these notes is crystal clear and dead-center on pitch.
For me personally, the best part of the disc is a 1971 recital of Russian art songs by Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov. Gedda sings with a lot of feeling and is not afraid to "invent" -- check out the messa voce, or rubato that he adds. "Where art thou, little star" is heart-gripping in its beauty.
Unfortunately, the recital is clearly not presented in its entirety. I just hope Gala will release the full version some time soon.
Of course, all the selections are "live". But that's not a serious problem here (unlike many other Gala CDs made almost unlistenable by caughs and other noises). Yes, there are a few distractions, but not enough to take away from pure joy of Gedda's singing.

A recording that does Gedda justice.......2003-04-05

This compilation disc from Gala presents the artistry and musicianship of Nicolai Gedda. He is a great tenor. His voice may not be the most beautiful, but it certainly is pleasant to hear. He has an excellent top register; no high note is beyond his reach. His pianissimos, not really given their due here with Gala's selections of songs and arias, are really top-rate and extremely beautiful. If you want to hear his lovely pianissimos, get the hard-to-find "Opera Arias: Nicolai Gedda". The selection of arias and songs here is wonderful. Also included is a wonderful duet from "Prince Igor" sung in Russian and several Russian songs by Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, and Rachmaninoff. I didn't care much for the Russian songs, but Gedda performed them very well with perfect Russian diction. The French arias are amazingly well done. If you have been left unmoved by his versions of Don José's Flower Song from his two studio recordings of "Carmen", you will not be disappointed with the version included here. This version is sung with great emotional involvement. It comes from the 1954 live recording of "Carmen" with Giulietta Simionato and Herbert von Karajan. Gedda has the flexibility and the high D for the "Les Huguenots" aria. His renditions of the two Gounod arias are wonderful and his high notes are superb. Énée's aria from "Les Troyens" is very well done. He even attempts a trill in it. A recently released live recording of a performance of "Les Troyens" with Gedda, Horne, and Verrett is available. Check it out. Gedda may be too light of voice for such a heavy role as Énée, but who could resist such stylish, superb singing and French diction? He also can scale all the dangerous heights and dramatic demands of the fiendishly difficult role. The sound of this compilation is surprisingly good. There is some static, but it never becomes distracting. Audience noise is minimal to nonexistent. Applause is found only on a few tracks and is always appropriate. All in all, a worthwhile purchase at a remarkably low price!

It is the voice of destiny........2002-09-01

If I say that it is nice I'll say nothing. Gedda's voice is really juicy and romantic and vocalize school is enormously mastered. When you hear to it, the first thought is that such voice cannot to be belonged to real, live person. It is for angel's not for real man.

This is some of the finest singing ever recorded.......1999-05-12

Although strangely forgotten by the opera world and overshadowed by the overwhelming publicity surrounding the three tenors (Carreras, Domingo, and Pavoroti), Gedda ought to be recognized as the greatest living tenor. His artistry, technique, musicianship, and individuality are second to none. Buy this CD and delight in some of his best work. There are presently no singers that even approach the mastery of the repetoire recorded on this album which Gedda sings perfectly and easily.His refinement and power are unexcelled. (No, the three tenors don't hold a candle to him. In fact, comparing Gedda to them is a bit like comparing a halogen bulb to a candle. Very nice candles, yes, but no match for an artist of his caliber.)

What a master singer!!!.......1999-01-20

This is a truly wonderful recording of the tenor, who I feel, is the greatest in the second half of the 20th Century. Maestro Gedda sings repetoire from the lyric Gerrard in Lakme to the dramatic Raoul in Les Hugeunots all with stylish ease and elan. Gedda had the most beautiful high notes in the business. These are all live performances and the span of time is from 1954 (Carmen, with von Karajan) to 1972 (Les Hugeunots). Finally, on CD, one gets to hear Maestro Gedda sing Lenski's Aria from Eugene Onegin, more beautiful and sumptuous than any other Tenor before or since. Also the last 9 tracks are Russian songs and this is some of the most beautiful singing heard anywhere (also done live).

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

Music Review

Mecanoid

Piano Concerto 26 in D Coronation

Rudolf Kempe: Master Conductor

The Best of Gene Krupa: Drummin Man

Pizza, Burger, Chicken Party [Import]

Spa: Music Therapy

Soo-Roo

Shashmaqam: Tradition of Bukhara

Running Free [CD-single] [Import]

Piano Background

Together Again! (1963 Reunion with Lionel Hampton, Teddy Wilson & Gene Krupa)