Amor ist mein Lied

On this CD:

1. Sonata for transverse flute & continuo in F major, Op.6/5
Composed by Carl Friedrich Abel
Performed by Andrew Lawrence-King, Laurence Dean

2. Adagio for Flute and harpsichord (Ornamented version in composer's own treatise)
Composed by Johann Joachim Quantz
Performed by Andrew Lawrence-King, Laurence Dean

3. Work(s) Amor ist mein Lied mit Variationen
Composed by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
Performed by Andrew Lawrence-King, Laurence Dean

4. Sonata for flute & harpsichord/piano in E minor
Composed by Franz Benda
Performed by Andrew Lawrence-King, Laurence Dean

5. Fantasia for flute No.6 in D minor, TWV40:7
Composed by Georg Philipp Telemann
Performed by Andrew Lawrence-King, Laurence Dean

6. Sonata for flute in G major
Composed by Georg Anton (Jiri Antonin) Benda
Performed by Andrew Lawrence-King, Laurence Dean

7. Komm, Gott, Schöpfer, heil'ger Geist für Traversflöte und Orgel
Composed by Johann Philipp Kirnberger
Performed by Andrew Lawrence-King, Laurence Dean

8. Sonata for flute & continuo in D major
Composed by Johann Gottfried Muthel
Performed by Andrew Lawrence-King, Laurence Dean

9. Sonata for flute & keyboard in E flat major, BWV 1031 Siciliano
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Andrew Lawrence-King, Laurence Dean

Tracks:

Ach War Ich Schon (Fidelio)
Non So Piu (Le Nozze Di Figaro)
Porgi, Amor (Le Nozze Di Figaro)
E Susanna Non Vien!...Dove Sono (Le Nozze Di Figaro)
Mi Tradi Quell'Alma Ingrata (Don Giovanni)
Come Scoglio (Cosi Fan Tutti)
Leise, Leise, Fromme Weise (Der Freischutz)
Dich, Teure Halle (Tannhauser)
Einsam In Truben Tagen (Lohengrin)
Wie Fremd Und Tot (Die Verkaufte Braut)
Bruderchen, Komm, Tanz Mit Mir (Hansel Und Gretel)
Da Geht Er Hin (Der Rosenkavalier)
Es Gibt Ein Reich (Ariadne Auf Naxos) - Richard Strauss
Das War Sehr Gut (Arabella)

Tracks:

Jauchzet Gott In Allen Landen
Bist Du Bei Mir
Ridente La Calma
An Die Musik
Der Musensohn
Nachtviolen
Der Musensohn
Auch Kleine Dinge
Mein Liebster Ist So Klein
Verschling' Der Abgrund
Ich Hab' In Penna
Wiegenlied Im Sommer
Mausfallenspruchlein
In Dem Schatten Meiner Locken
Mignon (Kennst Du Das Land?)
Gsatzli (Swiss Folksong)
Fruhling
Im Abendrot
Muttertandelei
Zueignung
Klange Der Heimat (Die Fledermaus)
Es Lebt'Eine Vilja (Die Lustige Witwe)
Im Chambre Separee (Der Opemball)
Wien, Du Stadt Meiner Traume

Amazon.com

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf was certainly one of the greatest singers of her own, or indeed any other time. An obsessive perfectionist, her flawless technique and intonation over a huge range, vocal flexibility, breath control, phrasing, stylistic versatility, and above all her focused, radiantly beautiful sound were matchless and incomparable. All these are on full display on this generous 2-CD set, which features over a dozen arias, songs by Schubert, Wolf and Richard Strauss, and some lighter fare. The recordings were made between 1950 and 1967, and the singing becomes better and better, the voice richer and more varied, the expression deeper and more immediate. Not surprisingly, the peaks come in the arias from her signature roles in Mozart's Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Cosi fan tutte; Richard Strauss' Ariadne, Rosenkavalier, and Arabella, which rise to real ecstasy; and arias from Weber's Freischütz and Smetana's Bartered Bride, which are wonderfully intimate and touching. She is less convincing in roles she never sang on stage, and the "childish" voice she cultivated especially for Hänsel and Gretel is unnatural and contrived. The same is true of the last two "popular" numbers, which sound condescending and artificial. The songs, however, have all her customary finesse and inwardness; the Wolf group, perhaps chosen for its gentle humor, is charming, while Strauss' "Four Last Songs" (represented by two) shimmer and soar. Schwarzkopf's singing had instantly recognizable characteristics: a tendency to hold back both vocally and emotionally, giving a sense of noble restraint, but also of cool detachment; excessive use of color and nuance, creating a fussy, calculated and somewhat artificial air. Only rarely does she "let go" with full voice and spontaneous feeling. However, as these recordings show, she invariably inspires admiration and captures ear and heart through the inimitable, glorious beauty of her voice. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Fine anthology but still prefer her "Four Last Songs" recording.......2006-11-06

The engineering and audio quality of these 1960's performances are surprisingly good. The songs are wonderfully peformed and cover a range of periods and styles, but I find myself returning to her recording (also re-released on CD) of Strauss' "Four Last Songs", which I would give 6 stars -- my favorite recording of all time.

RIP DAME ELIZABETH (1915-2006).......2006-08-04

This set is a fine tribute to this extraordinary singer and musician. I was saddened to read about her passing. She had a long life (90 years) and inspired a whole generation of singers and music lovers throughout the world.

SCHWARZKOPF ----- ONE OF THE GREATS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY.......2006-01-29

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf's career is what legends are made of. She is every bit as fundamental to classical singing in the twentieth century as is Maria Callas. Schwarzkopf sang with refinement, polish, beauty of voice, and meticulous articulation. She was the greatest Mozart and Strauss soprano of her day; her ability to sing the operetta music of Lehar, Suppe', and Johann Strauss has not been equalled; she performed with distinction orchestral compositions of Mahler, Brahms, Bach, and Handel; her Schubert, Schumann, Wolf, and Mahler lieder were exemplary. She sang many operatic roles, far more than many people realize, and was certainly the definitive Marshallin in "Rosenkavalier" throughout the 1950's and 1960'. I saw her many times in recital in Chicago, and even at the time of her farewell (which I was fortunate enough to see), she was sublime. All of the superlative qualities of Schwarzkopf are generously demonstrated throughout these two wonder CD's. Virtually every item is magnificent (though obviously some will prefer some to others) and has the detailed Schwarzkopf imprint stamped right into the music. This CD, great as it is, represents only a very small part of the greatness of Schwarzkopf. I already own tons of her operas and recitals, from which many of the items here come from. But for the sake of completeness, I will probably add it. A person who loves great singing can never have too much of the art of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. She's a vocal icon.

¡PERFECT!.......2005-02-10

I only want to say that you can hear, in this double cd, one of the great singers of all time. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. Why? Because she sings all the arias and lieder with pure of tone, brilliance, perfect inflexion, modulation, excellent control breath, measured vibrato, and, all above, great emision of colours. She is master in this art.

PERFECTA INTERPRETACIÓN.......2005-02-09

La mejor recopilación de la discografía de Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. Su belleza de voz, la impecable hilación de frases, y, sobre todo, su expresiva interpretación son algunas de las sorpresas que se podrán escuchar en estos dos discos. Sin duda, UNA DE LAS MEJORES SOPRANOS DEL SIGLO XX.

Average customer rating:

Elly Ameling now more available
Delight in every note
While they last...
Treasures From a Treasure
More than fully earned praise for an exceptional singer.

Artistry of Elly Ameling (Coll)
Elly Ameling
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Elly Ameling ~ Schubert · Schumann - Songs
Philips and Decca Recordings, 1961-1979 (Limited Edition)
Fauré - Mélodies / Souzay · Ameling · Baldwin
Ave Maria--Lieder
The Very Best of Lucia Popp

ASIN: B00007KMSJ
Release Date: 2003-10-14

Tracks:

Matthaus-Passion
Johannes-Passion
Weihnachts-Oratorium
Juditha Triumphans
Messiah
Crudel Tiranno Amor
Die Schopfung
Orlando Paladino
7 Lieder
Le Nozze Di Figaro
Exsultate, Jubilate Ch'io Mi Scordi Di Te, K505
Misera! Dove Son! K369
18 Lieder
Frauenliebe Und- Leben
11 Lieder
20 Morike-Lieder

Customer Reviews:

Elly Ameling now more available .......2007-03-07

I had a 33 rpm album of Elly Ameling singing Schubert lieder accompanied by piano and clarinet at times. It was one of my all time favorite albums so I have been disappointed that I have not been able to find it anywhere on CD.

Now I can just buy this excellent collection. So much music in one place! Since I confess that I am far from an expert on the rest of her records, I look forward to hearing her sing many other styles and composers.

I think it is silly to criticize her for not singing Wagner, for example, since her version of many songs, especially lieder, are nothing short of sublime. I would like to hear how many Wagnerians sing Schubert or Mozart.

I doubt if they could approach the skill and soul with which Elly Ameling sings lieder.

Delight in every note.......2006-03-10

To speak as briefly as possible about this superb collection from an equally superb singer, what can I say but that Ms Ameling possessed a voice that shone with radiant warmth and star-like shimmer? And unlike many another light lyric soprano, Elly Ameling was possessed of a very high standard of musicianship, considerable intelligence, and a sort of immediate charm that captivates the listener.

So many of her recordings have still to be released on CD, but this 5CD-set goes some way towards remedying the situation. The repertoire spans a wide variety - French mèlodies, Lieder, light-hearted "sentimental" songs, Bach, etc. - and in each piece, Ms Ameling shows that quality of pearl-like beauty. It is a beauty which is also extremely pretty - a beauty of voice that is never overbearing and over-ripe, but perfectly blossoming upon the tree of inspiration.

I recommend this set unequivocally. It truly is sheer delight.

While they last..........2005-05-17

Elly Ameling held the quiet stage for recitals of great artistry and dignity for several decades and sadly most of the enormously successful CDs of her long career output are now unavailable. For those who have little access to the documentation of this very special artist, this box set is a must. It is a compilation of many of her recordings with differing accompanists, conductors, orchestras and composers. And while not all of the choices for inclusion here would be considered her greatest moments, there are enough works that sustain the warm memories of the little Dutch hausfrau who quietly and simply paid homage to composers with her clear and intelligent musicianship and radiant voice.

Ameling was known to schedule recitals of Schubert cycles and songs and in the afterglow of her performance answer the demand for curtain calls with additional Schubert melodies: she gifted her audience with the dignity of honoring a composer's works by maintaining the focus on that composer rather than milk the audience with the usual encore applause-getting favorites. And special moments such as quietly and pensively strolling through the orchestra during the Mahler 4th symphony to arrive at front stage, unapplauded, just in time for the opening line of her singing - those simple homage to composers and collaborators made her selfless manner endearing to audiences.

Despite the fact that Ameling's voice was on the small side she was always able to muster the projection to carry her message solidly in context with an orchestra. Yes, other more famous singers have recorded Ravel's quintessentially French SHEHERAZADE, but few have the perfection of diction and aura of mystery that Ameling maintained. Whether singing with piano or orchestra, or interpreting Bach, Mozart, Handel, and Vivaldi with the same degree of involvement as Brahms and Schumann and Schubert, Elly Ameling spanned a career that engendered passionate commitment from her fans. And this boxed set is a pocket full of memories to be treasured. Buy it before this too becomes unavailable. Grady Harp, May 05

Treasures From a Treasure.......2004-09-25

Treasures from a Treasure.

Ameling, one of the world's most beloved recitalists is captured here in a 5 CD collection offering some of her most beautiful recordings of song. While we are used to her perfection in songs of Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Schumann, Faure and Hahn, an added joy is her "pop" side, tackling - without a whiff of pretension, Porter, Kern, Gershwin, Ellington, et al.

What an absolute joy it is listening to this amazing artist sing these songs with an almost uncanny natural ease. There is no resorting to a "pop" voice and yet most of these pop standards songs sound as though they could have been written for her. Clean attacks, sometimes a bit of the pop technique of hanging on to a consonant longer than a classical artist normally would shows an appreciation and understanding of the style. Still, there is never once a compromise of her vocal beauty.

I like the way the songs have been arranged for her voice in that she sort of sings them clean, unaffected in the first half and then lets loose and kinda "swings" with it adding embellishments but never really changing her voice (Price, von Stade and other favorite singers of mine seem to have always added a breathy quality to much of their crossover material.)

Ameling doesn't resort to trying to "let her hair down" or get down and dirty, but rather the honest with which she approaches every one of these songs shows how much she enjoys singing them and her style is as refreshing as stumbling onto a cool spring on a sweltering summer's afternoon. A wonderful surprise.

More than fully earned praise for an exceptional singer........2003-07-15

As I had the privilige of hearing this outstanding Lied-singer during her long career in Holland and being the proud possessor of almost all her recordings, I cannot but fully agree with the professional and joyful review of Mr. Robert Holliston from Victoria, B.C. Canada.
Yes, it is unbelievable that of about the 150 recordings Mrs. Ameling made during her long career (for the greater part of course on the 'oldfashioned' LP's, as well as the innumerable Dutch live-recorded radio-concerts), so few CD's have been released.
Speaking of tradition: it was the page-turner of the Wigmore Hall in London who told Mrs. Ameling after her first recital in this hall, that she reminded him of Elisabeth Schumann. (And he certainly didn't mean her looks only!)
For those who are eager to hear her singing Ravel's Shéhérazade (just one example of stirring imagination combined with her Art of Singing) I can tell you that Philips released a 2-box CD of this work in 1999, combined with Debussy's La Damoiselle élue and a compilation of French mélodies, i.e. Debussy, Fauré, Duparc, Satie. One of the gems is Caplet's Le Corbeau et le Renard which even make children, who know the fables of La Fontaine, revel in the singing of the quarrelsome birds....
Her brilliant accompanyist is Rudolf Jansen. Let us cherish great artists in their art!

Schubert, Mendelssohn: Lieder; Strauss: Brentano-Lieder

Average customer rating:

A Gracious Souvenir!

Schubert, Mendelssohn: Lieder; Strauss: Brentano-Lieder

Manufacturer: Orfeo D'or
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0002K71TQ
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Customer Reviews:

A Gracious Souvenir!.......2005-08-29

Edita Gruberova remains one of the more important recitalists and opera singers of the 20th Century: her Strauss roles such as her ownership of Zerbinetta from 'Ariadne auf Naxos' are legendary. She not only possessed a voice of thrilling coloratura range, but she also was technically able to dash off endless trills, individualize her technique for the song/aria of the moment, and amidst all her technical wizardry still convey the text like few others of her day.

This thoroughly successful recording was made during a recital in the 1980 Salzburg Festival when Gruberova was at the peak of her powers as a singer and communicator. Ably accompanied by Erik Werba she owns the stage with lieder by Schubert, Mendelssohn and Strauss. Joining Gruberova and Werba for the Schubert 'Der Hirt auf dem Felsen' is the fine clarinetist Peter Schmidl in one of the very best recordings of this popular piece. She offers a fine selection of other Schubert lieder and then launches into a less well-known group of songs by Mendelssohn, each seemingly selected to focus on her prodigious talent.

The recital ends, naturally, with her established territorial stance in the songs of Strauss - not the expected standards widely used by others, but the demandingly difficult 'Brentano-Lieder'. Here Gruberova stakes her claim to this repertoire and few coloraturas have been able to match her virtuosity. This album is highly recommended not only for those already familiar with Edita Gruberova, but for those who appreciate the fine art of intelligent and demanding lieder recitals. Grady Harp, August 05

Average customer rating:

Great Voices of the 50's

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | 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

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000042GT
Release Date: 1997-09-16

Tracks:

Wesendonk-Lieder: Der Engel - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Wesendonk-Lieder: Stehe still - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Wesendonk-Lieder: Im Treibhaus - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Wesendonk-Lieder: Schmerzen - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Wesendonk-Lieder: Traume - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
3 Ruckert-Lieder: Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
3 Ruckert-Lieder: Ich atmet' einen linden Duft - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
3 Ruckert-Lieder: Um Mitternacht - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Lieder: Einerlei, Op. 69 No. 3 'Arnim' - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Lieder: Ich wollt' ein StrauBlein binden, Op. 68 No. 2 'Brentano' - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Lieder: Schlechtes Wetter, Op. 69 No. 5 'Heine' - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Lieder: Befreit, Op. 39 No. 4 'Dehmel' - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Four Last Songs: Beim Schlafengehen 'Hesse' - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Four Last Songs: September 'Hesse' - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Four Last Songs: Fruhling 'Hesse' - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Four Last Songs: Im Abendrot 'Eichendorff' - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Tracks:

Sheherazade: Asie
Sheherazade: La Flute enchantee
Sheherazade: L'Indifferent
Trois Poemes de Stephane Mallarme: Soupir
Trois Poemes de Stephane Mallarme: Placet futile
Trois Poemes de Stephane Mallarme: Surgi de la croupe et du bond
Poeme de l'amour et de la mer: La Fleur des eaux
Poeme de l'amour et de la mer: Interlude
Poeme de l'amour et de la mer: La Mort de l'amour
La Damoiselle elue

Tracks:

I Puritani: Son vergin vezzosa
I Puritani: Qui la voce ... Vien, diletto
La Sonnambula: Come per me sereno ... Sovra il sen
La Sonnambula: Ah! no cread mirarti ... Ah! non giunge
Il bacio
Theme & Variations
Villanelle
Le Rossignol
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Wohlan, nur Mut und Vertrauen
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Die Legende von Klien Zaches
Fidelio: Gott! Welch' Dunkel heir
Il re pastore: L' amero, saro costante
Exsultate, jubilate, K 165

Tracks:

Pique Dame: Ich muss am Fenster lehnen
Pique Dame: Es geht auf Mitternacht
Un Ballo in Maschera: Ma dall'arido stelo divulsa
Un Ballo in Maschera: Morro, ma prima in grazia
Zigeunerliebe: Lied und csardas
Die lustige Witwe: Vilja Lied
Die Dubarry: Ich schenk' mein Herz
Der Zarewitsch: Einer wird kommmen
Le nozze di Figaro: Non piu andrai
Die Walkure: Leb' wohl, du kuhnes, herrliches Kind! (Wotan's Farewell And Magic Fire Music)
Oberon: Ocean! Du Ungeheuer!
Salome: Ah! Du wolltest mich nicht deinen Mund kussen lassen

Tracks:

Samson et Dalila: S'apre per te il mio cor
Eugene Onegin: Tatyana's Letter Scene
Cavalleria Rusticana: Voi lo sapete
Le nozze di Figaro: Voi che sapete
Andrea Chenier: Nemico della patria
Mefistofele: L'altra notte in fondo al mare
La Gioconda: E' un anatema
Il Barbiere di Siviglia: Largo al factotum
La forza del destino: Morir! Tremenda cosa! ... Urna fatale del mio destino
Le nozze di Figaro: Dove sono i bei momenti
La Wally: Ne mai dunque avro pace
Lodoletta: Flammen, perdonami
Cecilia: Per amor di Gesu

Marilyn Horne - Divas in Songs (A 60th Birthday Celebration) with Caballé, Donath, Fleming, Swenson, von Stade, Levine, Ramey, Bjarnason

Average customer rating:

Marilyn Horne - Divas in Songs (A 60th Birthday Celebration) with Caballé, Donath, Fleming, Swenson, von Stade, Levine, Ramey, Bjarnason
Benjamin Britten , Franz Schubert , Aaron Copland , Gustav Mahler , Enrique Granados , Richard Strauss , Johannes Brahms , Arnold Schoenberg , Johann II Strauss , Stephen Foster , Joaquin Turina , Franz Lehar , John Kander , Johann Paul Aegidius Martini , Richard Rodgers , Jerome Kern , William Bolcom , Sergey Rachmaninov , Marilyn Horne , Montserrat Caballé , Warren Jones , Martin Katz , Frederica von Stade , Reneé Fleming , Manuel Burgueras , Helen Donath , Klaus Donath , Fritz Lohner , Olafur Bjarnason , Oscar II Hammerstein , James Levine , and Samuel Ramey
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Latin Music | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Caballe, Montserrat | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Horne, Marilyn | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | 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:

Dvorak - Rusalka / Robert Carsen, James Conlon - Fleming, Urbanova, Diadkova, Larin, Opéra de Paris
Metropolitan Opera Gala
Renée Fleming: Bel Canto

ASIN: B000003FOY
Release Date: 1994-09-13

Tracks:

Let The Florid Music Praise - Renee Fleming
Der Musensohn - Frederica Von Stade
Vocalise - Ruth Ann Swenson
Lob Des Hohen Verstands - Marilyn Horne
Quejas, O La Maya Y El Ruisenor - Montserrat Caballe
Zueignung - Helen Donath
Von Ewiger Liebe - Marilyn Horne
Standchen - Renee Fleming
Arie Aus Dem - Frederica Von Stade
Voci Di Primavera - Ruth Ann Swenson
If You've Only Got A Moustache - Marilyn Horne
Cantares - Montserrat Caballe
Vilja-Lied - Helen Donath
A Letter From Sullivan Ballou - Renee Fleming
Plaisir D'amour - Marilyn Horne
Dein Ist Mein Ganzes Herz - Olafur Bjarnason
Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin' - Helen Donath
Ol' Man River - Samuel Ramey
Amor - Frederica Von Stade
At The River - Marilyn Horne
Finale - Marilyn Horne/Montserrat Caballe/Helen Donath/Renee Fleming/Ruth Ann Swenson/Frederica Von Stade...

Average customer rating:

RCA MET 100 Singers, 100 Years

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | 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
ASIN: B000003FFT
Release Date: 1993-09-14

Tracks:

Ardon Gl'Incensi (Mad Scene) - Marcella Sembrich
Vissi D'arte - Emma Eames
Devant La Maison (Serenade) - Pol Plancon
Les Tringles Des Sistres (Gypsy Song) - Emma Calve
A Vos Jeux, Mes Amis (Mad Scene) - Nellie Melba
All'erta, Marinar: II Vento Cangia!; Adamastor, Re Dell'acque - Giuseppe Campanari
O Pretres De Baal (Prison Scene) - Ernestine Schumann-Heink
Come Paride Vezzoso - Antonio Scotti
Jo-Ho-Hoe!; Traft Ihr Das Schiff (Senta's Ballad) - Johanna Gadski
Vecchia Zimarra - Marcet Joumet
Voce Di Donna - Louise Homer
Rachel, Quand Du Seigneur - Enrico Caruso
Se In Voi Cotanto Forte Fosse L'amor' I1 Cor Nel Contento - Geraldine Farrar, Hermann Jadlowker
It Is Almost Midnight (Sung In German) - Emmy Destinn
Eri Tu - Pasquale Amato
Ed Io Non Ne Godevo; Sempre Cosi - Frances Alda
Mein Vater! (Amfortas' Prayer) - Clarence Whitehill

Tracks:

Qual Fiamma Avea Nel Guardo!; Stridono Iassu (Ballatella) - Alma Gluck
Lunge Da Lei; Dei Miei Bollenti Spiriti - John McCormack
Caro Nome - Luisa Tetrazzini
Tutto Tace (Cherry Duet) - Miguel Fleta, Lucrezia Bori
Lontano Eco Della Mia Giovinezza (Lenski's Air) - Giovanni Martinelli
E Il Di Che Zar Saro (Garden Scene) - Paul Althouse, Margarete Ober
Di Provenza Il Mar - Giuseppe De Luca
Pace, Pace, Mio Dio! - Rosa Ponselle
Mi Batte Il Cor; O Paradiso - Beniamino Gigli
Bellah! Capretta Adorata; Si Carino (Slumber Song) - Amelita Galli-Curci
Gluck, Da Mir Verblieb (Marietta's Lied) - Maria Jeritza
Largo Al Factoum - Titta Ruffo
Una Parola Sola; Or Son Sei Mesi - Edward Johnson
Sieh' Evchen! Dacht' Ich Doch - Friedrich Schorr, Elisabeth Rethberg

Tracks:

Meco All'altar - Giacomo Lauri-Volpi
Nay, Marcus, Lay Him Down - Lawrence Tibbett
Regnava Nel Silenzio - Toti Dal Monte
Dir Tone Lob - Lauritz Melchior
Deh, Vieni Alla Finestra - Ezio Pinza
Depuis Le Jour - Grace Moore
Depuis Heir Je Cherche; Que Fais-Tu? - Gladys Swarthout
Salut A Toi (Hymnn To The Sun) - Lily Pons
Adina Quest'oggi; Adina Credimi - Tito Schipa
Ah, Malgre Moi - Rose Bampton
Je Suis Seul!; Ah! Fuyez, Douce Image - Richard Crooks
I Know You Better; This Very Vivid Morn - Helen Jepson
Mild Und Leise (Liebestod) - Kirsten Flagstad
Pres Des Remparts De Seville (Seguidilla) - Bruna Castagna
So Its Es Denn Aus Mit Den Ewigen Gottern - Kerstin Thorborg
Giunse Alfin Il Momento; Deh Vieni, Non Tardar - Bidu Sayao
Einsam In Truben Tagen (Elsa's Dream) - Helen Traubel

Tracks:

La Mamma Morta - Zinka Milanov
Ah, Guai A Chi La Tocca!; Guardate, Pazzo Son - Jussi Njoerling, Enrico Campi
Ist Ein Traum - Rise Stevens, Erna Berger
O Saint Medaille; Avante De Quitter Ces Lieux - Leonard Warren
Clock Scene (Sung In Russian) - Alexander Kipnis
Elle A Fui, La Tourterelle! (Antonia's Romance) - Jarmila Novotna
Con Onore Muore (Death Of A Butterfly) - Licia Albanese
To Leave, To Break (Quintet) - Eleanor Steber, Rosalind Elias, Regina Resnik, Nicolai Gedda, Giorgio Tozzi, George Cehanovsky
Tombe Degli Avi Miei; Fra Poco A Me Ricovero - Jan Peerce
Oui, Pour Ce Soir; Je Suis Titania (Polonaise) - Patrice Munsel
Se Quel Guerrier; Celeste Aida - Richard Tucker
L'ho Abbandonato Senza Un Saluto; In Quelle Trine Morbide - Dorothy Kirsten
Felice Ancor; Per Me Giunto - Robert Merrill
Si, Pel Ciel - Ramon Vinay, Giuseppe Valdengo

Tracks:

Morgenlich Leuchtend Im Rosgen Schein (Prize Song) - Set Svanholm
Studia Il Passo; Come Ddal Ciel Precipita - Jerome Hines
Che Gelida Manina - Giuseppe Di Stefano
Ah, Non Giunge - Roberta Peters
Ecco Ridente - Cesare Valletti
Re Dell'abisso - Marian Anderson
Credo In Un Dio Crudel (Iago's Creed) - Tito Gobbi
O Figli, O Figli Miei! Ah, La Paterna Mano - Carlo Bergonzi
Una Macchia E Qui Tuttora (Sleepwalking Scene) - Leonie Rysanek, Gerhard Pechner, Carlotta Ordassy
Addio Del Passato - Anna Moffo
In Questa Reggia - Birgit Nilisson, Jussi Bjoerling
Recitar!; Vesti La Giubba - Jon Vickers
Give Me My Robe - Leontyne Price

Tracks:

La Fleur Que Tu M'avais Jetee (Flower Song) - Franco Corelli
In Fernem Land - Sandor Konya
Ah! Tu Dei Vivere! Aida A Me Togliesti - Grace Brumbry, Placido Domingo
Je Dis Que Rien Ne M'epouvante - Mirella Freni
Mia Madre Aveva Una Povera Ancella (Willow Song) - Renata Scotto
Too Weak To Kill - Sherrill Milnes
Mi Chiamano Mimi - Montserrat Caballe
La Donna E Mobile - Alfredo Kraus
Stride La Vampa - Fiorenza Cossotto
Fia Dunque Vero; O Mio Fernando - Shirley Verrett
L'anima Ho Stanca - Placido Domingo
O Isis Und Osiris - Martti Talvela
Cruda Sorte, Amor Tiranno - Marilyn Horne
Come Scoglio Immoto Resta - Kiri Te Kanawa
Ave Maria - Katia Ricciarelli

Covent Garden On Record: A History, Volume IV

Average customer rating:

Covent Garden On Record: A History, Volume IV

Manufacturer: Pearl
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Covent Garden on Record, Vol. 3

ASIN: B000000WXB
Release Date: 1993-01-20

Average customer rating:

Luxurious Set of All of Strauss' Orchestral Songs
A must for Moll fans

Strauss: Complete Orchestral Songs
Richard Strauss , Friedrich Haider , Adrianne Pieczonka , Edita Gruberova , Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice , Judith Howarth , Petja Petrova , Peter Straka , Bo Skovhus , and Kurt Moll
Manufacturer: Nightingale Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00004RDYJ
Release Date: 2000-04-25

Customer Reviews:

Luxurious Set of All of Strauss' Orchestral Songs.......2005-10-11

I'm not sure how Nightingale Records has the courage to record and issue this compendium of the complete orchestral songs of Strauss, but the result is a splendid addition to the record library. Generously spaced over three CDs the unifying factor here is that the many songs are not excerpted from various recordings from various years with a range of soloists that span a long period of time. This project was recorded with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice conducted by Friedrich Haider and while this is not one of the top ranking ensembles in the world, there is a lovely sound and a unifying presence that adds to the enjoyment of the wide collection.

Recorded in the year 2000 some of the soloists were well-established Strauss specialists - Edita Gruberova, Kurt Moll - and some were to grow into that range. Bo Skovhus, Peter Strake, and Judith Horvath are all fine singers, if not particularly suited to the Strauss sound. The one singer that has since this recording proven herself to be one of the upcoming great Straussian singers is Adrianne Pieczonka, a Canadian soprano who recently distinguished herself as a definitive Marschallin in the Los Angeles Opera production of 'Der Rosenkavalier'. Here she literally embraces the beauties of 'Ruhe, Meine Seele', 'Morgen', and 'Cäcilie' with all the promise of the great Straussian heroine she is surely becoming.

For everyone who loves the works of Richard Strauss this set will be a welcome addition to the library. Recommended. Grady Harp, October 05

A must for Moll fans.......2000-05-07

This boxed set, claims Nightingale Classics, is the world premiere recording of Richard Strauss's orchestral songs; as such, it is a release well worth hearing, even though not all the performances give the lieder sufficient advocacy. Praise must be given straight away for the magnificent voice of the bass Kurt Moll; the thrilling gravitas of his singing in the rarely heard 'Das Thal' and 'Der Einsame' are worth the price of this set alone. Gruberova's long experience of singing Strauss (this is her fourth recording of some of these songs) also shines through; she excels not just in the coloratura extravagances of the Brentano lieder (disc 3), but is also moving in 'Freundliche Vision'. The remaining singers are more variable: Petia Petrova is rather bland in the fascinating 15 minute song 'Notturno' (but it is well sung), and I find Bo Skovhus' gruff baritone not to my taste (though again the songs themselves should be heard - listen to 'Nachtliger gang' and note its echoes of 'Elektra'). Judith Howarth, the most vocally wayward of the singers (she must watch her pitch) can also be quite exciting when at her best (hear 'Fruhlingsfeier' and the last two of the 'Holderin Hymnen'). And I must admit to rather liking the light lyric tenor of Peter Straka, though his 'white' tone is not right for some of the songs he has been allocated; they require a tenor of the heft of Peter Seiffert or Gosta Winbergh. Adrianne Pieczonka is a frustrating singer: her tone is often beautiful and soars in the opening bars of 'Fruhling' from the Four Last Songs, but at other times her readings are so perfunctory that the magic of the song can be totally missed. Take one of my favourites, 'Winterweihe', which goes for nothing; one must listen to Schwarzkopf and Szell to hear how much emotion can be wrung from the phrase 'Das Rad der Zeit mag rollen'. Part of the blame for some less than classic readings must lay at the feet of Friedrich Haider's not always idiomatic conducting and a too recessed orchestral sound; but these criticisms aside, I feel this recording is a must for fans of Strauss lieder, and admirers of Moll and Gruberova in particular.

Average customer rating:

World Classics: Belgium and Netherlands

Manufacturer: Columbia River Ent.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

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

Renaissance (c.1450-1600) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000067VU
Release Date: 1998-03-17

Tracks:

Een Meysken Eens Voerbij Passeerde - Colleguim Vocale/Wolfgang Fromme
Il Bianco E Dolce Cigno - Colleguim Vocale/Wolfgang Fromme
Lecker Beetgen En Clyn Bier - Colleguim Vocale/Wolfgang Fromme
Scene De Ballet - Gustav Svardstrom/Hans Michael
De Plus En Plus Se Renouvelle - Erika Metzger-Urlich/Otto Pinge
Missa L'homme Arme: Kyrie - Ursula Lambert-Brahms/Voc Ens Pro Musica
Missa L'homme Arme: Gloria - Ursula Lambert-Brahms/Voc Ens Pro Musica
Missa L'homme Arme: Motetus 'Flos Florum' - Ursula Lambert-Brahms/Voc Ens Pro Musica
Allegro in C - Stuttgart Chm Orch/Bernhard Guller
O Amoureusich Mondeken Root - Colleguim Vocale/Wolfgang Fromme
Chorale in a - Kurt Rapf
Chorale in E - Hans-Christoph Becker-Foss

Tracks:

Sym in d: Lento - Allegro Non Troppo - Nuremberg SO/Rato Tschupp
Sym in d: Allegretto - Nuremberg SO/Rato Tschupp
Sym in d: Allegro Non Troppo - Nuremberg SO/Rato Tschupp
Prld, Fugue Et Var Op. 18 - Kurt Rapf
Pastorale Op. 19 - Kurt Rapf
Finale Op. 21 - Kurt Rapf

Tracks:

Kyrie - Vox Ens Pro Musica/Collegium Inst/Johannes Homberg
Innsbruck, Ich Muss Dich Lassen - Collegium Vocale Caloniensis/Wolfgang Fromme
Susser Vater, Herre Gott - Franz Xaver Lehrndorf
Passio Domini Nostri - Friederike Sailer/Margarete Beuce/Naan Pold/August Messthaler/Schwabisher Singkreis Chor...
Final: A Sexta Antem Hora - Friederike Sailer/Margarete Beuce/Naan Pold/August Messthaler/Schwabisher Singkreis Chor...
Audi Dulcis - Capella Carolina (Dome Chor Aachen)/Rudolph Pohl
Besser Ist Gut Wein Denn Bier - Collegium Vocale Caloniensis/Wolfgang Fromme
Bon Jour Mon Coeur - Collegium Vocale Caloniensis/Wolfgang Fromme
La Nuict Froide Et Sombre - Collegium Vocale Caloniensis/Wolfgang Fromme
Matona Mia Cara - Collegium Vocale Caloniensis/Wolfgang Fromme
Missa Super Crediti Propter: Kryie - Capella Vocale Hamburgiensis/Martin Behrmann
Missa Super Crediti Propter: Gloria - Capella Vocale Hamburgiensis/Martin Behrmann
Missa Super Crediti Propter: Credo - Capella Vocale Hamburgiensis/Martin Behrmann
Missa Super Crediti Propter: Sanctus - Benedictus - Capella Vocale Hamburgiensis/Martin Behrmann
Missa Super Crediti Propter: Agnus Dei - Capella Vocale Hamburgiensis/Martin Behrmann
Prophetiae Sibyllarum: Carmina Chromatico - Capella Vocale Hamburgiensis/Martin Behrmann
Prophetiae Sibyllarum: Sibylla Persica - Capella Vocale Hamburgiensis/Martin Behrmann
Prophetiae Sibyllarum: Sibylla Libyca - Capella Vocale Hamburgiensis/Martin Behrmann
Prophetiae Sibyllarum: Sibylla Delphica - Capella Vocale Hamburgiensis/Martin Behrmann
Prophetiae Sibyllarum: Sibylla Hellespontica - Capella Vocale Hamburgiensis/Martin Behrmann
Prophetiae Sibyllarum: Sibylla Phrygia - Capella Vocale Hamburgiensis/Martin Behrmann
Prophetiae Sibyllarum: Sibylla Europaea - Capella Vocale Hamburgiensis/Martin Behrmann
Noch Weet Ick Een Schoen Joffrau Fyn - Collegium Vocale Caloniensis/Wolfgang Fromme

Tracks:

Pieces: Allemande 'La Dialogue Des Graces Sur Iris' - Michael Schaffer
Pieces: Sarabande 'La Mallassis' - Michael Schaffer
Pieces: Canarie 'L'amant Content' - Michael Schaffer
Missa Pange Lingua: Kyrie - Cantoria Berlin Spandau/Martin Behrmann
Missa Pange Lingua: Gloria - Cantoria Berlin Spandau/Martin Behrmann
Missa Pange Lingua: Credo - Cantoria Berlin Spandau/Martin Behrmann
Missa Pange Lingua: Sanctus - Benedictus - Cantoria Berlin Spandau/Martin Behrmann
Missa Pange Lingua: Agnus Dei - Cantoria Berlin Spandau/Martin Behrmann
Baisez Moi, Ma Douce Amie - Collegium Vocale Coloniensis/Wolfgang Fromme
Gloria - Vocal Ens Pro Musica/Johanes Homberg
Requiem 'Missa De Profundis': Introtus - Cantoria Berlin Spandau/Martin Behramm
Requiem 'Missa De Profundis': Kyrie - Cantoria Berlin Spandau/Martin Behramm
Requiem 'Missa De Profundis': Psalmus - Cantoria Berlin Spandau/Martin Behramm
Requiem 'Missa De Profundis': Offertorium - Cantoria Berlin Spandau/Martin Behramm
Requiem 'Missa De Profundis': Sanctus - Benedictus - Cantoria Berlin Spandau/Martin Behramm
Requiem 'Missa De Profundis': Agnus Dei - Cantoria Berlin Spandau/Martin Behramm
Requiem 'Missa De Profundis': Communio - Cantoria Berlin Spandau/Martin Behramm

Tracks:

Een Costerken Op Sijn Clockenclanc - Collegium Vocale Coliniensis/Wolfgang Behrmann
Mein Junges Leben Hat Ein End - Helmuth Riling
Echo - Fant - Helmuth Riling
Fant Chromatica - Fritz Neumeyer
Ich Fuhr Mich Uber Rhein - Fritz Neumeyer
Unter Der Linden Grune - Fritz Neumeyer
Toccata in A - Fritz Neumeyer
Toccata in C - Fritz Neumeyer
Balleto Del Granduca - Fritz Neumeyer
Von Der Fortuna Wird Ich Getrieben - Helma Elsner
Est-Ce Mars - Helma Elsner
Chant D'amour - Hans Kalafusz
Amor Mi Fa Morire - Collegium Vocale Coliniensis/Wolfgang Behrmann

Early Recordings: Oratorio, Opera, Lieder

Average customer rating:

La Venere Nera di Bayreuth
Gorgeous And Passionate: The Art of Grace
Bumbry At Her Best: An Amazing Collection

Early Recordings: Oratorio, Opera, Lieder

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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

The Great Recordings
Renee Fleming - The Beautiful Voice ~ Gounod, Lehaair, Orff, Puccini, Rachmaninov, Strauss
Very Best of
Strauss: Four Last Songs/12 Orchestral Songs
Russian Album

ASIN: B00067GKFQ
Release Date: 2005-02-08

Customer Reviews:

La Venere Nera di Bayreuth.......2005-08-19

Before I begin my review, I wish to express my DEEP hope that, one day soon, we will be able to enjoy on DVD the famous Bumbry/Verrett concert from Covent Garden, from 1982. I watched a VHS-to-DVD transfer that a friend made, who taped it, and it is stunning, to say the least.

There were many great mezzos from the same era as Grace Bumbry, but for me, she always stands out, due to the unique quality of her voice. I compare the timbre of her voice to a ripple of caramel- sweet, satisfying, and substantial. Hands down, she is my favorite Amneris and Eboli, on disc. Her voice is an arresting combination of vocal beauty and dramatic flair.

Unfortunately, Bumbry was, and is, one of those artists that the critics love to pick apart. Just read the online review of this three-disc collection on Opera News online. The reviewer picks out even the most minute faults in her voice.

No, her musicianship was not spotless, but this does not matter. As the other reviewers stated, her Handel is a wonder to hear. My heart skipped a beat the first time I heard these tracks. As for the rest of disc one, it is a sampling of Italian and French arias. I have to say that I find her Carmen and Delilah a bit too forceful. She all but shouts, "You're gonna love me, dammit!" Still, she is a force that cannot be denied.

The second disc features Grace at her very best, in Verdi. This was the first occasion in which I heard her sing Ulrica's aria, Tu Che Le Vanita, Azucena's arias, and La Luce Langue. Every aria is a highlight and testament to Bumbry, but the two Trovatore arias in particular are spellbinding. To give you an idea, she outclasses several times over Fiorenza Cossotto, who gave a lazy interpretation on the classic Price/Domingo recording.

Brava, Grace.

Gorgeous And Passionate: The Art of Grace.......2005-07-23

This pink box set issued by Deutsche Grammophone recently showcases fantastic arias from diverse repertoire sung by Grace Bumbry in three cd's. It's a must have for fans of Grace Bumbry and perhaps even mezzo-soprano students who wish to emulate her technique and transition to soprano. The sketch of her on the cover is lovely. The booklet inside features liner notes on Grace Bumbry's career, pictures of her great roles and track listings. Deutsche Grammophone has outdone themselves yet again and I'm very appreciative of their magnificent work as classical music and opera recording manufacturers. I hope they re-issue and digitally remaster some great old LP recordings that many of the older opera lovers fondly remember - the Norma sung by Beverly Sills and Shirley Verrett as conducted by James Levine for instance. Grace Bumbry rose to fame around the time of Leontyne Price's debut at the Met as Leonora in Trovatore. But Bumbry, a mezzo-soprano, did something that made history- she sang Venus in Wagner's Tannhauser in Bayreuth, breaking the age-old color line in that very theater where Wagner conducted. She would go on to enjoy success as the grand ladies of the mezzo-soprano field - Carmen, Amneris in Aida, Eboli in Don Carlo, Azucena in Trovatore, and would eventually take on the soprano roles of Elisabeth Valois in Don Carlo, Elisabeth in Tannhauser,Lady Macbeth, Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana, Salome, Aida, Tosca and Norma. Too bad we don't get all the greater stuff from later in her career on this recording. It would make for a fine tribute album. Instead we are treated to her younger days and earliest recordings. And what a beautiful and powerful sound she has in these recordings!

The earliest documented recording of Grace Bumbry's voice was in 1958 in Salt Lake City, which was originally released as LP's in the Westminster label. Grace Bumbry sings the contralto parts of such Handel oratorios as Judas Maccabeus, Irael in Egypt and the more famous Messiah - absolutely majestic, noble interpretations. Following this are two arias from Gluck's Orfeo, in which she sings a moving Orfeo with pure lyric splendor and warmth. Santuzza in Cavelleria Rusticana is normally assigned to sopranos but La Bumbry shows what mezzos are made of is just as impressive in her rendition of "Voi Lo Sapete, Mama." In the role of Carmen, Grace Bumbry is perfect, perfect. I have her full-length recording of Carmen opposite Jon Vickers' Don Jose. As Carmen, she is into the character's liberal nature, flirty and wickedly playful side. Here we here the Habanera, Segudilla and the more grave-sounding Death Card Aria. As Delilah from Samson et Delilah, she is sensuous and glorious to hear. Gounod's Sappho's final scene in which she leaps from a cliff is dramatic and melancholically interpreted. As Joan of Arc from the Tchaikovsky opera she is beautifully moving and even saintly. CD 1 ends with fiery Spanish songs from Falla's El Amor Brujo which are an incredible and not to mention rare treat.

Grace Bumbry sings Ulrica's aria "Re Del Abbiso" from Un Ballo In Maschera with aplomb, with such passion and bravura that even her predecessor Marian Anderson- who opened the doors for all black sopranos that came later- applaud. As Eboli, she is highly dramatic and complex. The signature aria "O Don Fatale" was one she always sang in audition and was her "good luck" aria because she always got the part after singing it. Upon hearing it one knows exactly why. As Princess Elisabeth Valois in Don Carlo, she is regal and melancholy and the challenging aria "Tu che la vanita" proves easy for her to handle. "Stride La Vampa" is here, Azucena's famous aria and Bumbry does justice to it. She does justice to Aida as well, though Leontyne Price is forever embedded in opera lover's memory as the ultimate Aida, but Bumbry is beautiful and dramatic to hear, and especially noteworthy because she sang both Amneris and Aida so knew both parts very well. Lady Macbeth's arias "Vieni T'affreta" and Sleepwalking Scene is here, sung gloriously with flair. She was singing the heavy part of Lady Macbeth in 1964, even as she was still taking on mezzo roles like Carmen!! Further, we hear the live event of her career- the one role that began it all- Venus in Wagner's Tannhauser, hear singing opposite tenor Wolfgang Windgassen. The final cd contains gorgeous Lieder she must have graced recitals with - Brahms, Schubert, Liszt, Wolf and Strauss. Each Lieder is a bright jewel in a divine chain when sung by the incomparable Grace Bumbry.

Fans of Grace Bumbry -Buy this album!!!

Bumbry At Her Best: An Amazing Collection.......2005-06-13

I am so proud to be the first critic to submit a review for this outstanding Deutsche Grammophone album: Grace Bumbry- Early Recordings. Fans of the diva will not want to be without this brilliant 3-cd box set, containing juicy, virtuosic arias for mezzo soprano as well as dramatic soprano that capture Grace Bumbry at her youngest. The career of Grace Bumbry was an impressive and lengthy affair. She started off singing the dramatic mezzo soprano roles in the grand tradition- Azucena from Verdi's Trovatore, Princess Eboli in Don Carlo, Amneris in Aida, Carmen (naturally) and then she transitioned into soprano territory when she astonished the world by singing the diva roles of Aida, Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana, Lady Macbeth, Elisabeth in Don Carlo, Norma and even Strauss Salome, said to be an incredible performance but lamentably never recorded or taped. Her career lasted for several years throughout the 60's, 70's and 80's. She gained world recognition in the opera scene when she broke the "color" barrier at Bayreuth, Germany, which had hitherto accepted only Aryan-German or European white singers because of Wagner's rabid Supremacist sentiments. She sang Venus in Tannhauser (in the dramatic soprano interpretation rather than the mezzo) and she became a legend. That was back in August of 1962. That moment is captured on the last two tracks of CD 2.

The first recordings are from December of 1957, recorded in Salt Lake City, Utah, under the baton of Maurice Abravanel, originally from the Westminster LP label. The opening arias here are excerpts from Handel's oratorios - Judas Maccabeus and the more famous Messiah. Her deep, rich, warm mezzo voice perfectly embodies the Handelian contralto voice, as evidenced in "Their land brought frogs" in "Israel in Egypt" and in "He Was Despised" from the Messiah, which was conducted by Sir Adrian Boult in London. The rest includes two arias from Gluck's masterpiece Orfeo. Bumbry sings in a regal manner, with a divine voice that further re-inforced her Baroque/Gluck style at this time. I have never heard Che Faro Sensa Eurydice sang with such beauty and passion. The first cd for me, the best example and outpouring of her mezzo soprano repertoire. Here we find what I consider her greatest role- Carmen. At this time, Shirley Verrett, another successful black singer, was the most sought after Carmen in opera houses. But Grace Bumbry, for me, is and always will be Carmen. I first heard the voice of Bumbry on the EMI recording of Carmen she sang opposite Jon Vickers and Mirella Freni. Karajan conducted her in a fine Carmen in the Salzburg Festival. As Carmen, she's playful, liberated, subtle, wickedly funny, strong and dramatic and even a bit cynical and tragic. She colors her voice and character to make Carmen a character that most encompassed the originality of Bizet's intention. The Habanera, Seguidilla and the Card Song, which is Bumbry at her best mezzo voice. She sings the scene, in which Carmen reads her own impending death in the tarot card, with such gravitas and nobility and resignation to her fate with the greatest prowess of voice and acting ability. The rest of the second cd features the arias "O Ma Lyre Immortale" a brilliant vocal feat from the opera Sappho by Charles Gounod, a rarely staged opera today - and the aria Mon Coeur from Saint Saens Samson and Delilah. The role of Joan of Arc from the Tchaikovsky opera is another rare jewel and here she sings so wonderfully that one wishes this opera was revived today. The cd concludes with masterful Spanish bravura in Fallas' Amor Brujo.

The second cd documents her rise to soprano heaven. She is able to reach up from her mezzo earth to the strata of soprano dramatic power. Though even as a soprano Bumbry still sang the mezzo roles of Ulrica from Un Ballo and her prized Eboli. Her "O Don Fatale" captured here at its earliest, is simply the best without question. Tracks 7-9 is the infamous Sleepwalking Scene from Verdi's Macbeth. As Lady Macbeth, she is icy, "mad" and very dramatic without delving into the hysteria that other mezzos, most famously Fiorenza Cossotto, would do. She may be "mad" or sleepwalking but she is still the Queen. The last cd are gorgeous, elegant and virtuosic Lieder songs from Schubert, Brahms, Liszt and Strauss.

The best album of Grace Bumbry to be re-issued!! I'll cherish this album for years. Thank you Amazon.com and Deutsche Grammophone. Now please keep re-issuing lost and rare recordings and continue to amaze us the opera lovers.

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

Music Review

Too Many MC's [CD-single] [Import]

Bhagavad Gita, Chap 2

Baker/Rochberg/Rorem: Piano Trios

Danças [Import]

Breathing [CD-single] [Import]

24 Kilates De Amor

Big Tent Revival

All Is Dream [Import]

Bailao De Peao V.3 [Import]

Arnold Schoenberg: Concerto for Piano & Orchestra, Op. 42 / Chamber Symphony No. 1, Op. 9 / Chamber Symphony No. 2, Op. 38 - Alfred Brendel / SWF Symphony Orchestra, Baden-Baden / Michael Gielen

4 Legendary Swing Bands

16 Kilates Musicales

Back in Black

Its Later Than You Think

St. Louis Blues