Ludwig Weber:Opera Arias

On this CD:

1. Die Entführung aus dem Serail, opera, K. 384 Wer ein Liebchen hat gefunden
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Ludwig Weber
Conducted by Otto Ackermann

2. Die Entführung aus dem Serail, opera, K. 384 O, wie ich triumphieren
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Ludwig Weber
Conducted by Felix Prohaska

3. Fidelio, opera, Op. 72 Hat man nicht auch Gold beineben
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Ludwig Weber
Conducted by Felix Prohaska

4. Der Freischütz, opera in 3 acts, J. 277 Hier in ird'schen Jammertal
Composed by Carl Maria von Weber
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Ludwig Weber
Conducted by Felix Prohaska

5. Der Freischütz, opera in 3 acts, J. 277 Schweig! Schweig!
Composed by Carl Maria von Weber
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Ludwig Weber
Conducted by Felix Prohaska

6. Boris Godunov, opera (Rimsky-Korsakov edition, 2 versions) Hört, was einst in der Stadt Kazan geschehen
Composed by Modest Mussorgsky
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Ludwig Weber
Conducted by Otto Ackermann

7. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les vêpres siciliennes) O tu, Palermo
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Ludwig Weber
Conducted by Otto Ackermann

8. Der Rosenkavalier, opera, Op. 59 Da lieg'ich
Composed by Richard Strauss
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Dagmar Hermann, Ludwig Weber
Conducted by Otto Ackermann

9. Die Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods), opera, WWV 86d Hier sitz' ich zur Wacht
Composed by Richard Wagner
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Ludwig Weber
Conducted by Rudolf Moralt

10. Tristan und Isolde, opera, WWV 90 Tatest du's wirlich?
Composed by Richard Wagner
Performed by London Philharmonia Orchestra with Ludwig Weber
Conducted by Wilhelm Schuchter

11. Tristan und Isolde, opera, WWV 90 Tod denn alles
Composed by Richard Wagner
Performed by London Philharmonia Orchestra with Ludwig Weber
Conducted by Wilhelm Schuchter

12. Parsifal, opera, WWV 111 Titurel, der fromme Held
Composed by Richard Wagner
Performed by London Philharmonia Orchestra with Ludwig Weber
Conducted by Issay Alexandrovich Dobroven

13. Parsifal, opera, WWV 111 O Gnade! Höchstes Heil
Composed by Richard Wagner
Performed by London Philharmonia Orchestra with Ludwig Weber
Conducted by Issay Alexandrovich Dobroven

14. Parsifal, opera, WWV 111 Wie dünkt mich
Composed by Richard Wagner
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Torsten Ralf, Ludwig Weber
Conducted by Rudolf Moralt

Tracks:

O mio babbino caro from Gianni Schicchi
Quando me'n vo' soletta per la via from La boh (Musetta's Waltz Song)
Smi chiamano Mimrom La boh
Donde lieta usci from La boh
Chi il bel sogno di Doretta from La rondine
Non la sospiri from Tosca
Vissi d'arte from Tosca
Spira sul mare from Madame Butterfly
Un bel di vedremo from Madama Butterfly
In quelle trine morbide from Manon Lescaut
Tu che di gel sei cinta from Turandot
In questa reggia from Turandot
Grands dieux! du destin, qui m'accable from Alceste
Ah perfido!, Op. 65
Abscheulicher, wo eilst du hin? from Fidelio
Leise, leise' from Der Freisch
Cavatina: Und ob die Wolke from Der Freisch

Customer Reviews:

No Passion, Skip It!.......2007-07-18

Skip the Puccini arias and go directly to the Gluck, Beethoven and Weber. There you will find Farrell more sympathetic to the style. She does not "get" Puccini at all and just sings the notes with not a jot of feeling, let alone the passion that these arias demand. She holds back on the voice and doesn't once let loose - her top even sounds quite unlike her. In the French and German arias she sounds more attuned to the music, though even there she is sorely lacking. Listen to the beginning of "Komm, Hoffnung," (in "Abscheulicher") in which she evinces no sign that she knows what she's singing about. The opening word of that aria, "Abscheulicher!" means "monster," and there, too, she just sings the notes - there's no revulsion, anger or fear in her voice. "Per pieta non dirmi addio," in "Ah perfido," is sung prettily where it should convey the cry of a woman begging her man to stay. All of the arias on this disc have been sung better by other sopranos of the past and present. Skip this disc, don't waste your money.

Eileen Farrell-Puccini Arias.......2007-02-21

I have been waiting for this recording to be released on CD for years. No one can sing like Ms. Farrell could. Everytime I hear her rendition of In Questa Reggia, it brings tears to my eyes. Her singing is just amazing. It's sad she is no longer with us, but having her wonderful voice preserved on CD will allow generations to come to also experience this gem. Take a listen to her blues/pop recordings as well. She could sing anything.

La Diva Yankee.......2006-11-04

In a singing competition with all the divas of her generation, Ms. Farrell would have won hands down, and this disc proves it. It is an excellent companion to her EMI recital with Thomas Schippers conducting if you want to document all the facets of her artistry. Mme. Callas once replied to Mr. Bing's wooing her to the Met with "We have all the greatest singers of the world" with "You don't have FARRELL!" If only Eileen Farrell had recorded more complete operas in the studio and had even been coaxed to sing Bellini's Norma.

FARRELL SINGS PUCCINI.......2006-09-19

To start off, I love Eileen Farrell. The voice was one in a million. Her versatility was astouding. From Bach Cantatas to Wagner's dramatic scenes, from the great symphonies and oratorios to the American songbooks of Gershwin, Arlen and Kern, this lady had it all. There's no dispute about that.

So why do I find something lacking in her singing of familiar Puccini arias? I can't put my finger on it. There's something unidiomatic in her and Max Rudolf's approach, something not lyrically italianate enough in style. Truly, Turandot should have been the right role for her, but "In questa reggia" just doesn't sound as effortless as it should have.

Far better are the Beethoven and Weber arias excerpted from the "Arias in the Great Tradition" collection.

Legacy Recording of USA's greatest dramatic soprano, bar none.......2006-08-27

Wow, it is ever good - no, great - to have Eileen Farrell back with us. Even if only via these reissued, remastered discs. One can only hope that the DSD remasterings which have been trickling out from giant Sony/BMG will soon get published in SACD versions.

It is ever too facile to look back on musicians of the past and hear a Golden Voice in a Golden Era. But, the cliché comes perilously near reality in this case.

Eileen Farrell was undoubtedly one of the most prodigiously gifted of dramatic sopranos who has ever walked the planet. Her physical vocal talents were so unfailingly there. She never had to wonder if her voice was going to show up, and neither did anybody else.

On top of these generous physical gifts, Farrell was the most dedicated of vocal musicians. She never showed up without being ready for work, and everybody knew it. In fact, her down to earth competency and Rock of Gibraltar professionalism tended to cast unwelcome shadows over some of the other divas - a category of grandstanding musician not strictly limited to singers - who might stand next to her on the opera or concert stages where she appeared.

To our very, very great loss, she eventually dropped out altogether. She loved the music - but she had little or no patience for the intrigues, the opera politics, and the over-inflated vanities of so many people whom she encountered in the music biz of her era.

To our great happiness, she did make some fine recordings, of which the current release is one. This CD actually gives us the old Puccini arias LP, plus a few added selections from another LP of famous arias for dramatic soprano.

Without affectation or strain, Eileen Farrell conquers each operatic challenge. And she does this by entering into the music, not by bending the music to her own wayward will or egotism. If Farrell had been eccentric, we surely would have forgiven her somewhat, so great was her voice. But she didn't need to pile difficult narcissistic postures or attitudes on top of her abilities. Technically, she lightens her huge voice to characterize the more youthful of the Puccini heroines on offer, starting with Gianni Schicchi, and moving on through La Boheme and La rondine, to Tosca and Madame Butterfly and Manon Lescaut. The climax of the Puccini program is Turandot, but true to Farrell's generosity and fine form, we get Liu, plus Turandot's In questa reggia.

If Birgit Nilsson could be said to have owned the role of Turandot in that past era, it probably was only because Farrell dropped out so quickly. Had Farrell stayed, we surely would have been happy to get every single note she sang. This In questa reggia is so much solid gold that one roundly curses the USA record companies for not rushing to get the whole opera down complete, with Farrell in the title role. Or, in a risible tour de force of studio recording, could she have been double cast as both Liu and Turandot? That sensationalistic oddity of a trick would have yielded nothing but the best music in Farrell's hands, if anybody had even dared go so far.

To complete the disc, we get five additional great dramatic soprano arias from Gluck, Beethoven, and Carl Maria von Weber. If anything, these leave a listener aching like a silly opera pig for more, more, more, more, more. (There is more; look for a disc of Verdi arias. Also pure gold.) She has the imperturbable facility that we have tended to associate with Nilsson, plus a certain North American cultural or interpretive directness. There is simply never a fussy moment in these great dramatic arias. The Beethoven arias especially benefit from this self-assured directness, because something true in Farrell's personality - she knew she was good, period - is echoed in Beethoven's musical personality. The Gluck and von Weber arias also benefit from this directness of utterance, because their grand operatic, dramatic soprano strength is delivered, clear and present and whole. In their examples, Romantic opera does not depend on having to use operatic character acting to cover for any vocal weaknesses or limitations whatsoever. Farrell simply lets her characters stand and deliver.

If your best sense of Verdi has gotten squishy, just go to the other Farrell disc and she will get you right back to Verdi home base, no holds barred.

Who was the Columbia Symphony Orchestra? Membership probably varied from session to session, and from east coast bands, to west coast bands. Whoever they were, they play wonderfully well for Max Rudolf. Partly, their fundamentally professional competency matches Farrell's work, and partly all concerned must have felt privileged to get the call to be a session player for this disc. No problems with the band, then. And kudos to dear old Max Rudolf. He conducts as open-heartedly and as musically involved as Farrell sings.

If you have slightly or greatly lost sight of opera as music - if opera has gotten tarnished by pretense, theatrics, diva-dom, and brand name singer marketing spin published by the remaining big record labels - well, just put this gem of a CD on the player and return to a time and place when opera was still a real musical deal. Farrell would like that, assuming we listen with a no nonsense attitude that wants nothing better than to hear the music for what it is worth.

Do not hesitate to get this disc. And if it comes out in SACD some day soon, get that too.
Farrell and the music are the point. And, looking back, we cannot take such dedication for music as a great cultural calling for granted, even for a split second, in the slightest. This and the other Farrell recordings belong on a best of all times list. Now shake your piggy bank vigorously, and click.

Average customer rating:

One Bizarre Recital - or Compilation!

Christine Brewer: Great Operatic Arias

Manufacturer: Chandos
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 | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Strauss: Four Last Songs; Death and Transfiguration; Wagner: Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde
Strauss: The Complete Songs, Vol. 1
Beethoven: Fidelio
Strauss: Four Last Songs; Death and Transfiguration; Wagner: Prelude & Liebestod from Tristan & Isolde [Hybrid SACD
Songs by Fauré, Hahn and Head; Arias by Rossini and Handel

ASIN: B000AA4JAW
Release Date: 2005-09-20

Tracks:

Great Hall Of Song
He Threatened My Honour
Almighty Gods Of Death!
Ocean! Thou Mighty Monster
The Night Is Calm And Cloudless
Fading Is The Star That Guides Me - Janice Watson
Where Is Love's Kingdom
You'll Never Walk Alone
On My Lips Ev'ry Kiss Is Like Wine
Blessed Virgin, May The Flame Of Love
Concert Aria: 'Ah! Perfido'
Mira - Can You Imagine That?

Customer Reviews:

One Bizarre Recital - or Compilation!.......2006-10-03

The Christine Brewer is one of our more important heroic soprano voices of the time is an understatement. For those fortunate enough to have been in the presence of her performances as Isolde there can be no doubt that this is a voice of huge range, flexibility, intelligence and burnished warmth. She is most assuredly a star on the ascent.

The selection on this strange CD is puzzling: 'Great Operatic Arias' these are not. Though there are some of the big ones included ('Don Giovanni', 'Tannhäuser', 'Alceste', 'Oberon', and 'Euryanthe'), the program is fleshed out with operettas from Lehar, Kalman, and Rodgers and even some concert arias such as Beethoven's 'Ah, perfido'! Brewer is accompanied by other singers where indicated and by the London Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by David Parry. But oddly enough the works are all sung in English translations - and some of these translations are poor ones at that.

It does seem a waste of time to include 'You'll Never Walk Alone' from 'Carousel', but that particular song allows Brewer to demonstrate amply that the mezzo range is a strong comfort zone for her. Despite the odd choices of works here, what makes the album work is Brewer's extraordinarily beautiful voice. She sails over the orchestra, tossing off difficult passages with utter ease, and always reminding us that her instrument is never less than one of beautiful sound. If you can get past the English versions and the mixed bag of works she has chosen to sing, you are in for an hour of beautiful vocalizing! Just don't let this album be your introduction to this very fine artist. Grady Harp, October 06

Average customer rating:

Ludwig Weber:Opera Arias

Manufacturer: Testament
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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000IXWT
Release Date: 1999-05-11

Tracks:

Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail, Act I: Wer Ein Liebchen Hat Gefunden
Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail, Act III: O, Wie Will Ich Triumphieren
Fidelio, Act I: Hat Man Nicht Auch Gold Beineben
Der Freischutz, Act I: Hier In Ird'schen Jammertal
Der Freischutz, Act I: Schweig! Schweig!
Boris Godunov, Act I: Hort, Was Einst In Der Stadt Kazan Geschehen
I Vespri Siciliani, Act II: O Tu, Palermo
Der Rosenkavalier, Act II: Da Lieg'ich - Ludwig Weber/Dagmar Hermann
Gotterdammerung, Act II: Hier Sitz' Ich Zur Wacht
Tristan Und Isolde, Act II: Tatest Du's Wirlich?
Tristan Und Isolde, Act III: Tod Denn Alles - Ludwig Weber/Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Parsifal, Act I: Titurel, Der Fromme Held
Parsifal, Act III: O Gnade! Hochstes Heil
Parsifal, Act III: Wie Dunkt Mich - Ludwig Weber/Torsten Ralf

Average customer rating:

Mattila secures triumph with two Beethoven arias, but success more qualified elsewhere here
The best solo recital album in a while!
not as incredible as it could have been
Discipline and excitement in equal measure
Amazing Mattila!!!

Karita Mattila: German Romantic Arias
Carl Maria von Weber , Ludwig van Beethoven , Felix Mendelssohn , Karita Mattila , Sir Colin Davis , and Staatskapelle Dresden
Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

Karita Mattila - Arias & Scenes / Yutaka Sado, LPO
Karita Mattila Live in Helsinki
Excellence: The Artistry of Karita Mattila
Bach: Cantatas BWV 82 and 199
Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs

ASIN: B00005UW1Y
Release Date: 2002-04-23

Tracks:

Beethoven: Abscheulicher, wo eilst du hin? Komm,
Beethoven: Ah! Perfido
Weber: Wie nahte mir der Schlummer/Leise, leise, fromme Weise (Der Freischutz)
Weber: Und ob die Wolke sie verhulle (Der Freishcutz)
Weber: Ocean! Thou mighty monster (Oberon)
Weber: Schirmende Engelschar (Euryanthe)
Weber: So bin ich nun verlassen (Euryanthe)
Mendelssohn: Infelice! Op. 94

Amazon.com

Accompanied by the superb Staatskapelle Dresden, under the occasionally overmellow baton of Sir Colin Davis, Finnish soprano Karita Mattila here presents eight German Romantic arias, two of which--concert arias--are in Italian. Agathe's two arias from Weber's Der Freischuetz are handsomely, introspectively sung, with lovely tone and nice inner reflection. Leonore's big scene from Fidelio is suitably angry and hopeful, with Mattila's voice an ideal instrument for the character's predicament and Beethoven's wide vocal leaps. Her singing of Beethoven's "Ah, perfido," a 13-minute rant that is quite a test for any soprano, is thrilling, and the final moments of Rezia's "Ocean, thou mighty monster" (sung in the original, outlandish English) are almost overwhelming intense and exciting. Two arias from Weber's Euryanthe show the character's two sides: the wildly defiant and the prayerful. A rarity, an Italian-language aria by Mendelssohn, is fascinating. This is an exciting release, a joy for Mattila fans, and a great honor to Weber, Beethoven, and Mendelssohn. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Mattila secures triumph with two Beethoven arias, but success more qualified elsewhere here.......2007-01-05

Carrying the billing of German Romantic Arias, just five out of eight arias by three German composers are indeed sung in German. Two of the longest tracks on the disc are concert arias written and sung here in Italian. One finds Rezia's big number from Weber's Oberon most correctly sung in English here, as it was premiered in London near time of the composer's death.

One of the truly most challenging arias here gets arguably, probably its best performance on disc in thirty years - "Abscheulicher - Komm Hofnung" from Act One of Beethoven's Fidelio, and unqualified success that it is, it so auspiciously opens this recital. By way of contrast, the biggest letdown here is at least the first of Agathe's arias from Weber's Der Freischutz.

The ecstasy of Elisabeth Grummer (especially live in 1954 with Furtwangler) or more subtly lyrically flowing rapture that Tiana Lemnitz offers and the gently more heroic stance of Hilde Konetzni, all in tackling both arias (Konetzni only heard for the first) from Freischutz all come to mind while approaching the same numbers on this disc. Much in the same manner as Birgit Nilsson, especially on her complete yet pedestrian Freischutz for EMI (uncharacteristically with Gedda cast in it as well), heavy vocal production is paramount here. This is an Agathe made of tough stuff, what with her boyfriend Max flaky and out making pacts with one of the most insidious characters on the block and even in effect with Samiel, the very Evil One himself. Swallowed consonants, even on the first line of "Leise, leise", and thankfully only slightly scoopy attacks here take one back to late 1980's early Mattila that from evidence of cd's had me predicting that she had only five or six years of singing left. Davis, with his euphoniously burnished Dresden forces, are at their most doughy, sleepy in accompanying Mattila here, and become so still midway through the recitative before "Leise, leise", to bring to mind similar in the slowest interpretations available of Mahler's "Abscheid." Things gratefully pick up for the faster closing stanzas. It is all up to at least this point a little too unvaried expressively, both within and between the aria's ardently lyrical refrains and inculcated recitatives. Mattila keeps the lyric line, at least as well preserved for Agathe's Cavatina that follows, courageously taking long phrases in it in one breath, yet the occasional consonant swallowing still indicates thick production, thus compromising the radiant charm of this number as well. For the model mature Agathe for Mattila to seek out, look to Ljuba Welitsch's slightly witchy, flavorful interpretation of "Leise, leise" on an EMI recital disc.

"Ocean, thou mighty monster" from Oberon presents a more open flood of lyricism and more apt heroic response to its text than the two above numbers. One neither gets the openly beguiling, enterprising sense of adventure that Margerethe Teschemacher gives it, seventy years ago and at least as lyric and secure as Mattila, nor the fearless valor of Birgit Nilsson, as especially from her 1970 complete DGG set with Kubelik, but that is being churlish. This is indeed a fine piece of singing, with ringing high B-Flats, a reflective introspection for quieter moments, yet that encourages a retiring response from Davis at certain moments too. A consistent engagement with the text across a rising, ebbing flood of sound over a secure range is ever present here. The refrain for Euryanthe slaying the serpent attacking Adolar while singing above the fray - fortitude that requires three ladies in Magic Flute - from Mattila equals in spirit and bright color the ringing and orchestrally beautifully supported conclusion of "Ocean."

"So bin ich nun verlassen" - Euryanthe's expectation of rejection by her maliciously deceived knight lover and hero, Adolar - brings to the fore the emotional range one often senses from Mattila, yet when set against so high a standard as Maria Reining in top form (in live late 1940's broadcast of the opera that cuts the preceding refrain), a bit contained. Contrast of tonal, emotional color here, however, is quite plentiful, especially in highlighting a gradual awakening of hope for the heroine, and even to include the indulgence of a diphthong or two to get the message all the way across at the close of two phrases. Mattila, however, ends the aria by singing its last brief phrase strictly in time, almost matter-of-fact, instead of providing an expected authoritatively, steadfastly calm ending to it.

For the big aria from Beethoven's Fidelio, one sacrifices maybe a little verbal and blazing fury, as one gets completely to the fore with Dresden forces again from Gwyneth Jones on her complete 1969 set with Bohm, in exchange for perfect vocal steadiness. And yet, unlike with Nilsson, all three times I've found that Nilsson recorded it including live with Erich Kleiber, this is no power lunch - as vocally impressive as that is, running probably a little afoul of Beethoven's aesthetic ideals. Beethoven perhaps composed it as awkwardly as he did for the purpose of making sure to have brought out the true character of the piece and of his heroine's plight. Mattila's Leonore is at once steadfastly, nobly ardent and beseeching, vulnerably feminine, and eschewing the mildly expressionistic extremes (to match Jurgen Flimm staging) to which she takes the same aria on the very fine, exciting Met dvd of the complete opera. For that reason and in a perfect world, her optimum interpretation of the aria is here. Note how Mattila gently wraps her voice around the low stem of a slowly ascending arpeggio without engaging chest voice at all, having just come off reprise of the powerfully inciting lines of "Ich folg' dem", "Ich wankte nicht", delivered quite forcefully here. One has to recapture the high echelons set by such artists as Frida Leider, Kirsten Flagstad, and Hilde Konetzni to find superior artistry for any part of Fidelio; such is high praise indeed.

One concert aria here, practically modeled after the other, both dealing with forlorn victims of spurned or in current status unrequited love, as was garden variety for the time, shares billing with the other. The less imaginative of the two, a little too repetitive for its faster second half is "Infelice" (second version) by Mendelssohn. Diction, apart from a few swallowed consonants, no stranger to any language, is very fine. Here is a heroine just about equally quixotic in mood as Beethoven's equally figurative one. For slight lack of imagination, Mattila misses more opportunities here than she does for "Ah! perfido", and likewise, Davis's support here is stodgier than for the Beethoven as well. Edda Moser, on Berlin Classics, inculcates a telling variety of shifts in tone color and emotions, to help sustain interest in the piece to its final conclusion. Mattila takes us down a more streamlined path through its second half.

The coolness, but also soft femininity to Mattila's approach to this music reminds one a little of the 1950's recording of "Ah perfido" by almost legendary American soprano Eileen Farrell, at least as much as Mattila's altogether very successful "Ah perfido" here. The Beethoven aria marks supple transition for Mattila part of the way to being a convincing lyric spinto, from the more hausfrau kopfstimme employed and expected elsewhere here, but without, i.e. ersatz-Callas Cheryl Studer, beating up on the voice to achieve incisively dramatic accents. Nilsson similarly scales her voice down to silky thread through so much lyric passagework and equally supple transition between registers, for an aria (on EMI recital at least) that after first glance at least, she unexpectedly and so warmly makes much more her own than the great aria from Fidelio. Mattila, of a little humbler vocal estate, aspires to and achieves the full measure of both.

Text, translations are in fine print, light caramel over white, only useful for someone of the perfect 20/20 eyesight of younger than twenty-three to be able to read without expansion to considerably larger and to different color scheme, or without using powerful reading glasses.

The best solo recital album in a while!.......2007-01-04

I won't mince my words: This album is fantastic in every way. From Ms. Mattila's singing to the Orchestra's playing, it is practically flawless. I would even venture to say this album is worth buying solely for Ms. Mattila's interpretation of "Abscheulicher...". Her high B's are stunning! They are brilliant and full of vibrato, and not pinched or wiry like some sopranos. That is one of the things that attracted me to Mattila's singing is her fluttery and rapid vibrato, that extends to every part of her range (except maybe to her lowest notes, but who listens to a soprano for her low notes???). The rest of the selections on this disc are not very well known, but who cares?? They are filled with beautiful music, and give Ms. Mattila several chances to show off her stuff. This is one that will be in my CD player for a while!

not as incredible as it could have been.......2006-03-31

I think of this recital as a coda to Mattila's awe-inspiring Arias & Scenes disc. Arias & Scenes left me wanting more, and German Romantic Arias seemed like the perfect companion, based on the selections included.

There are some jewels here, but on the whole, it left me a little disappointed. The opening aria from Fidelio is superb. There is a reason that she is considered the world's foremost interpreter of this role. She is simply the best, bar none.

Unfortunately, what follows is not the best showcase of Mattila's abilities. Ah, Perfido is quite long. Karita starts off right, with a bite to her diction, Cecilia Bartoli style. But when the tempo slows, her top notes become compressed. Now, Mattila can whip up some laser-beam high notes, but a sustained high tessitura is simply beyond her. Honestly, I kept waiting for Emma Kirkby to come to the rescue.

All would be forgiven if she nailed the next couple of arias, but she doesn't. Leise, Leise (from Die Freischutz) is an incredible aria with a thrilling climax. On paper, it seems tailor-made for Mattila's vocal abilities. Curiously, she does not capitilize on the opportunity. I'm sad to say that her singing is rather colorless and bland. Mattila doesn't soar in the final part, as you assume she would. In all fairness, part of the problem lies in the conducting. It is too disjointed, too plodding. Needless to say, the prayer aria from Die Freishutz is part and parcel.

After three misfires, the Karita Mattila we know and love resurfaces. Ocean, Thou Mighty Monster is a perfect display of what makes her so great. She detonates some fireworks in the climax that would rival Star Wars. It is her singular gift, the ability to burst forth in a dazzling display of laserlike high notes. Tell me, what other lyrical soprano could acheive this feat?

The rest of the recital is okay, but the golden nuggets are tracks one and five.

Discipline and excitement in equal measure.......2002-08-07

Once again, Mattila brings her breathtaking art to bear in this intruguing collection of Arias. Unlike her last recording, she only has stage experience of two of the characters - Agathe (which she has sung at Covent Garden) and Leonore (the Met). The characters of Rezia (princess of Baghdad, no less) and Euryanthe (currently receiving an outing at Glyndebourne) seldom appear in live performance, largely because both the works they come from are "problematic".

In fact, it is fascinating and rewarding to hear the Weber selection, very much at the core of this recital. One is struck anew by his sheer genius. Beautiful, simple melodies - nowhere more so than in Euryanthe's second number - interwoven with the art that conceals art. And his skill at orchestrating these pieces - take the moment in "Und ob die Wolke" where the clarinets take up the new key as though it were a chamber ensemble - still defies belief. Mattila is at her best in these numbers, showing a skill both for gentle introspection and full-on fireworks.

Throughout the disc Mattila impresses not only with the beauty of her tone - shining and clear but with none of the shrillness that can sometimes mar singers with "Northern European" voices - but with her technical dexterity. All of the pieces here are difficult but she demonstrates the reach and flexibility to do justice to all of them. The more and less familiar Beethoven pieces (the second a scena to an Italian text) are thrilling, and the final number on the disc, a concert aria by Mendelssohn, is impressively complete, both musically and dramatically.

The highlight? I'm torn between Agathe's "Leise Leise" and "Ocean, thou mighty monster" but I'd probably go for the latter if only for the astonishing bravura Mattila shows in the final section. Great singing, indeed.

And great playing, also. Colin Davis and the Staatskapelle Dresden are in every way Mattila's equal with accurate, pellucid playing that drives each piece along flawlessly. A highly recommended recital.

Amazing Mattila!!!.......2002-05-16

Mattila is perhaps the greatest soprano of her generation (a place she might be disputing with the also amazing Renee Fleming) and she proves it again with this new recording. If the great Leonie Rysanek has an heir it must be Mattila. The same incandescence, the same urgency, pure adrenaline freely flowing. With Mattila you always have the feeling that she is singing as if it were the first and the last time, as if her life depended on it. Mattila always gives a 110% of her vocal and dramatic goods. Mattila's career has been exemplary. From a Mozartian background she has become a first class jugendlische dramatische, in the same tradition of Maria Muller and Rysanek. Although she is now singing roles such as Leonore, Jenufa, Eva, etc., her Mozart background is always there. The purity and focus of the line, the most exquisite legato, an amazing breath control. Just listen to her rendition of Agathe's "Und Ob Die Wolke" or her "Abscheulicher!" where the dramatic tension of the aria is constructed bit by bit. And let's not be fooled: What you get in this disc is what you get in the theatre... Here there are no miking tricks or anything... Lucky people who have heard and seen Mattila in the theatre will immediately recognize her. An artist of absolute dramatic and vocal honesty. A great singer, a great Artist (with a capital A). The real thing...

Average customer rating:

Wonderful!!!
A Treasure Record: Birgit Nilsson In Her Prime!!
Vocal lightning bolts
Greatest Classical Recordings!!
Amazed

Birgit Nilsson: Opera Arias

Manufacturer: Testament UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Wagner: Opera Arias & Duets
Birgit Nilsson Sings Richard Wagner & Richard Strauss
Nilsson Sings Verdi
Or sai chi l'onore: Opernarien von Mozart, Weber, Wagner, Strauss
Birgit Nilsson, Vol.1

ASIN: B00004YU8P
Release Date: 2000-11-14

Tracks:

Don Giovanni, Act I: Or Sai Chi L'onore
Fidelio, Act I: Abscheulicher, Wo Eilst Du Hin?...Komm Hoffnung
Ah, Perfido Op.65
Oberon, Act II: Ozean, Du Ungeheuer
Der Freischutz, Act II: Wie Nahte Mir der Schlummer... Leise, Leise
Tristan Und Isolde, Act III: Mild Und Leise (Liebestod)
Un Ballo In Maschera, Act II: Ecco L'orrido Campo... Ma Dall' Arido Stelo Divulsa
La Forza Del Destino, Act IV: Pace, Pace Mio Dio
Aida, Act I: Ritorna Vincitor
Aida, Act III: Qui Radames Verra... O Patria Mia

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful!!!.......2007-01-15

We had been searching and could not find this previously!! We are enjoying, what a great find!!!!!

A Treasure Record: Birgit Nilsson In Her Prime!!.......2005-09-02

This recording is a fine album to add to your collection if you happen to 1: love Birgit Nilsson 2: Collect early recordings of famous opera divas like Birgit Nilsson. In this album, we are treated to arias from operas Birgit sang in both full-length productions and in concert. The large diva from Sweden was most famous for her make Wagner-proud portrayal of Wagner heroines - Brunhilde, Isolde most notably, but she was also quite accomplished in the reperotoire of Strauss, Verdi and Beethoven. Her Mozart (she only sang Dona Ana in Don Giovanni) was not good, I'm afraid to say. I feel her interpretation was very off in the Mozart style (she sounded very weird and her Nordic lyricism was not appropriate for the Mozartian technique)Her Dona Ana lacks the dramatic lustre of such sopranos as Leontyne Price, Sena Jurinac, Carol Vaness and Edda Moser. Compare Nilsson's "Or Sai Che L'onore" featured here to that of Price and Moser -major difference! Her rendition of Beethoven's moving concert aria "Oh Perfido!" is very well-done. It's an extended monologue full of bravura and Nilsson captures the spirit of the aria and Beethoven perfectly. She is also a fine Leonore in Fidelio, though I still personally prefer Sena Jurinac as Fidelio. Naturally, Sweden being closer to Germany, Nilsson was able to learn to sing the language well. She sang her best roles in German- whether it was Fidelio, Salome, Brunhilde, Isolde, Venus or Elisabeth in Tannhauser, or Elektra, or featured here - Agathe in Webber's German Gothic opera Die Freischutz. Now her Verdi was not that bad, though there have been better Aidas then hers. Nilsson took on a lot of demanding roles and always did well, but often she never strayed from the same Wagner technique so that everything she sang sounded like a Wagner heroine (this is the stigma critics always gave her) but Nilsson's voice was beautiful, big and illustrious. Very few singers could do what she did. She surpassed Maria Callas folks, to my assessment. Here are her Aida and Leonora from Forza, and her Leonora was better than her Aida. Not featured here is her fine Puccini roles- Turandot and Tosca. Also, if I were alive in the time Nilsson was singing at the Met, I'd have killed to see her sing Bellini's Norma, a role I feel was perfectly suited for her.

Vocal lightning bolts.......2004-01-10

If you lke to be hit by vocal lightning bolts, buy this!!

Greatest Classical Recordings!!.......2003-12-25

If there were a greatest list of classical recordings, this would be it!! Since Nilsson retired, she has had no successor. Listen to this and you know why!!

Amazed.......2003-11-26

I'm amazed at how accurately this recording captures the power, majesty and beauty of Birgit Nilsson's mighty voice. Many of her Decca recordings do not do full justice to her huge strong voice. Fortunately, her Isolde and Brunnhilde with Karl Bohm (Deutsche) more accurately captures her voice. Now too these recordings join the ranks of those two legendary recordings. In these recordings, she is recorded closer and you can feel the power of her voice more realistically. Bravo Testament for issuing these on CDs beautifully remastered.

Average customer rating:

Opera Arias

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

German | 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: B000003FA0
Release Date: 1994-08-30

Average customer rating:

Over 50 minutes from a great Bass
Great stuff from the german bass

Famous Opera Arias

Manufacturer: Orfeo
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000596K
Release Date: 1994-04-20

Tracks:

The Abduction From The Seraglio: Solche Hergelauf'ne Laffen
The Abduction From The Seraglio: O Wie Will Ich Triumphieren
Don Giovanni: Schone Donna, Dies Genaue Register
Fidelio: Hat Man Nicht Auch Gold Beineben
Tsar And Carpenter: Den Hohen Herrscher Wurdig Zu Empfangen
The Waffenschmied: Auch Ich War Ein Jungling Mit Lockigem Haar
Der Freischutz: Hier Im Irdschen Jammertal
Der Freischutz: Schweig, Damit Dich Niemand Warnt
The Flying Dutchman: Mogst Du, Mein Kind, Den Fremden Mann Willkommen Heissen
The Master-Singers Of Nuremberg: Was Duftet Doch Der Flieder
The Barber Of Bagdad: O Wusstest Du, Verehrter
The Barber Of Bagdad: Salam Aleikum-Heil Diesem Hause

Customer Reviews:

Over 50 minutes from a great Bass.......2000-10-22

Kurt Moll is in my opinion the best bass I know. His voice has a clear articulation which makes his interpretation of a piece unique. I have heared many basses and with all of them, except Moll I had to have the libretto in-front of me to understand the words. With Moll I do not need to. In this CD he is marvelous and his interpretation unique. I particularly liked the German version of 'Madamina, il catalogo e questo' ('Schoene Donnia, hier ist genau der Register') on which I had some doubts due to the fact that it was in German; however Moll with his superb voice crushed all my doubts and makes me now like the German version more than the Italian! He is also very good in the two 'Der Freischutz' excerpts as well as in 'Der Meistersinger' and in 'The Barber of Bagdad'. The CD containing some less known pieces is an excellent introduction for a beginner and an absolute enjoyment for the professional; all from a really great Bass.

Great stuff from the german bass.......1999-03-05

Kurt Moll's voice is perhaps not as rich in texture and polish as some other famous post-war basses (Frick, Talvela, Ghiaurov). It is not crystal clear like the voice of f.i. Lazlo Polgar, the hungarian bass. It is rather veiled, velvety, "smoky" like old whiskey or something. "Black velvet" it is written in the liner notes, and that's a pretty accurate description. But Moll wields it with amazing ease and flexibility, and has a phenomenal breathing technique (listen to the arias from "The Entführung aus dem Serail") to go with it. He has no troubles with the profundo parts of either Osmins or Kaspars (Cornelius) arias, and offers very good versions of famous Wagner-stuff (Meistersinger, Fliegende Holländer). Clearly an intelligent and serious artist, Moll is absolutely worth listening to!

Average customer rating:

Arias

Manufacturer: Centurion Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0002JP2J8
Release Date: 2004-07-27

Beethoven / Weber / Wagner / Strauss / Korng: Arias

Average customer rating:

Beethoven / Weber / Wagner / Strauss / Korng: Arias

Manufacturer: Oehms Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000XKAX4
Release Date: 2004-03-22

Average customer rating:

The Glass-Shattering Voice- Birgit Nilsson

Opera Arias

Manufacturer: Bluebell Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000001JDL
Release Date: 1994-03-01

Tracks:

Tosca: Vissi D'arte
Turandot: In Questa Reggia
Oderon: Ozean, Du Ungeheuer
Fidelio: Abscheulicher, Wo Eilst Du Hin
Aida: O Patria Mia
La Forza Del Destino: Pace, Pace, Mio Dio
Tannhauser: Dich, Teure Halle, Gruss' Ich Wieder
Penelope: Penelope's Aria
Estrella De Soria: Estrella's Aria

Customer Reviews:

The Glass-Shattering Voice- Birgit Nilsson.......2005-03-26

This album is a tribute to the great Birgit Nilsson, featuring a collection of arias from her greatest accomplishments on the operatic and concert stage. These were originally a series of arias broadcast in her native Sweden, in a radio show. Birgit Nilsson left Sweden and mastered the operatic languages of Italian and German, but some would have it that Sweden never left her. But if we really think about it, ethnic opera singers never forget their roots and sing with the passion of the folk music of ther native land (Placido Domingo sings with fiery and romantic Spanish soul, Mario Del Monaco, Franco Corelli and Luciano Pavoratti were the most Italian of tenors, Leontyne Price and Jessie Norman never forget their roots in Gospel, etc). So why would critics bash the great Birgit Nilsson for being "too Swedish " ? In various instances, her Nordic spirit empowerd her in roles like Puccini's Turandot, Tosca, Minnie in La Fanciulla Del West, Verdi's Lady Macbeth and in Die Frau Au Schautten, not to mention in roles that are regarded as her greatest achievements- Brunhilde in Wagner's "Ring" cycle, Isolde in Tristan And Isolde, and Salome and Elektra of Richard Strauss' operas.

The arias here include - "Vissi D'Arte" from Tosca, "Ritorna Vincitor" from Aida, "In Questa Reggia" from Turandot and her concert arias include "Ocean Thy Mighty Monster" sung in German. There is also a Swedish folk song. Possessed with a remarkably high voice (she can reach all the way up there to the stratosphere), she also managed to soften her voice into sweet lyrical little breaths, making her appear vulnerable and noble. When she belted out the intense passages, she came off as heroic. There is a distinctive quality to her voice, something powerful, cold and yet warm, at times she could be the stereotypical opera diva (the cover painting of her deserves to be illustrated in the dictionary under dramatic soprano!!!) but at times the consummate artist.

These arias should get you familiarized with her voice and mannerisms, which could prompt you to seek out her recordings, of which there are many. The only one I don't recommend is the Don Giovanni she sang in conductor's Erich Leinsdorf recording- opposite Cesare Siepi and Leontyne Price. The one "voice" she could never master was Mozart. As Dona Ana, she forces her voice into a sickeningly sweet style that is inappropriate for the steely victim that is Dona Ana. Furthermore, she just doesn't have the voice for Mozart heroines. It's weird. There's not enough purity of line or even dramatic integrity. Also avoid the Verdi Aida she recorded under Zubin Mehta opposite Franco Corelli. She doesn't have the right kind of dynamics for Aida, and thus comes out as too foreign even for an Egyptian princess, which in operatic terms is more of an Italian voice. Unfortunately, Nilsson never had Italian fire in the voice. For recordings of full-length operas get the following:

Puccini: Turandot..Pradelli conducting singing opposite Franco Corelli and Renata Scotto in the late 60's recording. The "icy cold" detached manner she sings and employs in her acting as the ice princess that is Turandot is phenomenal. No other soprano could sing Turandot like Birgit Nisson. She takes the crown. Her voice is high, defiant and proud. And when she finally falls in love with Calaf, we see the transformation from goddess to frail woman in love.

Verdi: Macbeth. This recording of Macbeth finds Nilsson as a splendidly wicked Lady Macbeth. She is using all the tricks in her sleeve to effectively portray the unfeeling and cruel Lady Macbeth. Suprisingly, this one, and her Tosca, finds her acting and using as much Italian fire as she could muster. These moments were rare but when she had them, she had the audiences at her feet.

Puccini: Tosca...Maazel/Corelli/Nilsson/Dieskau...This Tosca is the one with most character integrity. Corelli and Dieskau as Cavaradossi and Scarpia nail the role to the letter. And our diva Madame Nilsson is the essence of Tosca- passionate, intense, dramatic and beautifully sung. She is acting like she has never acted before too. When she stabs Scarpia in that famous scene, she reaches Maria Callas level of performance and in that final scene when she cries "Scarpia, we shall meet before God" we are certain her voice reaches God himself.

Puccini: La Fanciulla Del West: Having heard the recording several times and comparing it to others, no other soprano could master the hardest Puccini role- Minnie, the tough as nails but sweet and homely saloon owner in the Old West. She's a combination of Mae West and Annie Oakley. Initially afraid of the role (which is so taxing and hard) she learned the role and sang it with such prowess that even the other singers were drowned in her fire.

Wagner: Tristan and Isolde and Gotterdammerung. As Isolde, she is the very woman Wagner envisioned. Her voice is both powerful and vulnerable. She reaches delirious heights of spirituality in the Liebestod and she is so centered, its' a religious experience just hearing her. Nowhere is Nilsson more in touch with mysticism of the North than as Isolde. In Gotterdammerung, she is the definition of Brunhilde- a fallen goddess, a woman whose last vestige of joy and fulfillment has been taken from her - upon the death of her soulmate Siegfried. Her voice is high and mighty, and in that final Immolation Scene, we are blown away.

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

Music Review

Play Hard React Act 1 [Import]

Strauss: Orchestral Works

The Terezin Music Anthology, Volume III: Hans Krása

Upward & Onward

The Natural (1984 Film) [Soundtrack]

Sentimiento Y Sabor

The Capitol Albums Vol. 1 [Box set]

Time Changes Everything [Import]

Still Lonely [Import]

Tristan Und Isolde

Something About The Sun

Soy Tu Nena [CD-single] [Import]

Texas Cali Connection [Explicit Lyrics]

Mozart: Clarinet Concerto; Clarinet Quintet

Pop Music pop-music-05