Iphigenie En Tauride

On this CD:

1. Iphigénie en Tauride, opera in 4 acts, Wq. 46
Composed by Christoph Willibald Gluck
Performed by Munich Radio Orchestra with Carmen Anhorn, Franco Bonisolli, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Walton Gronroos, John Janssen, Pilar Lorengar
Conducted by Lamberto Gardelli

Iphigenie En Tauride, Music, Gluck, Classical

Gluck - Iphigenie en Tauride (Iphigenia in Tauris): Boston Baroque - Premiere recording on period instruments
Average customer rating:

A Great Recording

"I defy the most insensitive person to be unmoved."

Wait for the Minkowski version with Delunsch and Keenlisyde

Opera Novice Loves This Recording

Is this a modern opera?

Gluck - Iphigenie en Tauride (Iphigenia in Tauris): Boston Baroque - Premiere recording on period instruments
Christoph Willibald Gluck , Martin Pearlman , Christine Goerke , Rodney Gilfry , Boston Baroque , Vinson Cole , Sharon Baker , Iayne West , and Stephen Salters
Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Gluck - Iphigenie en Tauride / Juliette Galstian, Rodney Gilfry, Deon van der Walt, William Christie, Zurich Opera

Gluck - Iphigénie en Aulide / Dawson · von Otter · van Dam · Aler · Deletré · Cachmaille · Schirrer · Monteverdi Choir · Opéra de Lyon · Gardiner

Gluck - Iphigénie en Tauride / S. Graham · Groves · Hampson · Rouillon · Mozarteum · Bolton

Gluck: Iphigénie en Tauride

Gluck - Iphigénie en Tauride / Delunsch · Keenlyside · Beuron · Naouri · Cousin · Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski

ASIN: B00004WFLZ
Release Date: 2000-08-22

Tracks:

Act One: Intro And Chor: 'Grands Dieux! Soyez-nous Secourables' - Christine Goerke/Boston Baroque/Martin Pearlman
Act One: Recitative: 'Iphigenie, O Ciel!' - Sharon Baker/Jayne West/Christine Goerke
Act One: Chor: 'O Songe Affreux!' - Boston Baroque/Martin Pearlman/Christine Goerke/Jayne West
Act One: Aria: 'O Toi, Qui Prolongeas Mes Jours' - Christine Goerke
Act One: Chor: 'Quand Verrons-nous Tarir Nos Pleurs?' - Boston Baroqu/Martin Pearlman
Act One: Recitative: 'Dieux! Le Malheur En Tous Lieux Suit Mes Pas' - Stephen Salters/Christine Goerke
Act One: Aria: 'De Noirs Pressentiments' - Stephen Salters
Act One: Chor: 'Les Dieux Apaisent Leur Courroux'/Recitative: 'Malheureuse!'... - Mark Andrew Cleveland/Christine Goerke/Stephen Salters
Act One: Chor: 'Il Nous Fallait Du Sang' - Mark Andrew Cleveland
Act One: Ballet - Boston Baroque/Martin Pearlman
Act One: Recitative: 'Malheureux, Quel Dessein' - Stephen Salters/Vinson Cole/Rodney Gilfry
Act One: Chor: 'Il Nous Fallait Du Sang' - Mark Andrew Cleveland
Act Two: Recitative: 'Quel Silence Effrayant!' - Vinson Cole/Rodney Gilfry
Act Two: Aria: 'Dieux! Qui Me Poursuivez'/Recitative: 'Quel Langage Accablant' - Rodney Gilfry/Vinson Cole
Act Two: Aria: 'Unis Des La Plus Tendre Enfance' - Vinson Cole
Act Two: Recitative: Entrangers Malheureux' - Mark Risinger/Vinson Cole/Rodney Gilfry
Act Two: Recitative: 'Dieux! Protecteurs De Ces Affreux Rivages' - Rodney Gilfry
Act Two: Aria: 'Le Calme Rentre Dans Mon Chor' - Rodney Gilfry
Act Two: Ballet-Pantomine - Boston Baroque/Martin Pearlman
Act Two: Chor And Dance: 'Vengeons Et La Nature' - Boston Baroque/Martin Pearlman
Act Two: Recitative: 'Je Vois Toute L'horreur' - Christine Goerke/Rodney Gilfry/Boston Baroque/Martin Pearlman
Act Two: Chor: 'Patrie Infortunee' - Boston Baroque/Martin Pearlman
Act Two: Aria: 'O Malheureuse Iphigenie!'/Recitative: 'Honorez Avec Moi' - Christine Goerke/Boston Baroque/Martin Pearlman
Act Two: Chor: 'Contemplez Ces Tristes Apprets' - Boston Baroque/Martin Pearlman/Christine Goerke

Tracks:

Act Three: Recitative: 'Je Cede A Vos Desirs'/Aria: 'D'une Image, Helas!' - Christine Goerke
Act Three: Recitative: 'Voici Ces Captifs Malheureux' - Jayne West/Christine Goerke
Act Three: Recitative: 'O Joie Inattendue!' - Rodney Gilfry/Vinson Cole/Christine Goerke
Act Three: Trio: 'Je Pourrais Du Tyran Tromper La Barbarie' - Christine Goerke/Vinson Cole/Rodney Gilfry
Act Three: Recitative: 'O Moment Trop Heureux!' - Vinson Cole/Rodney Gilfry
Act Three: Duet: 'Et Tu Pretends Encore Que Tu M'aimes?'/Recitative: 'Quoi! Je Ne Vaincrai Pas Ta... - Rodney Gilfry/Vinson Cole
Act Three: Duet: 'Ah! Mon Ami' - Vinson Cole/Rodney Gilfry
Act Three: Recitative: 'Malgre Toi, Je Saurai T'arracher'/Recitative: 'Quoi? Toujours A Mes Voeux' - Rodney Gilfry/Christine Goerke/Vinson Cole
Act Three: Recitative: 'Puisque Le Ciel A Vos Jours S'interesse' - Christine Goerke/Vinson Cole
Act Three: Aria: 'Divinite Des Grandes Ames' - Vinson Cole
Act Four: Recitative: 'Non, Cet Affreux Devoir'/Aria: 'Je T'implore Et Je Tremble' - Christine Goerke
Act Four: Chor: 'O Diane, Sois-nous Propice!'/Recitative: 'La Force M'abandonne' - Boston Baroque/Martin Pearlman/Christine Goerke/Rodney Gilfry
Act Four: Hymn: 'Chaste Fille De Latone'/Recitative: 'Quel Moment! Dieux Puissants'... - Boston Baroque/Martin Pearlman/Christine Goerke/Rodney Gilfry
Act Four: Recitative: 'Tremblez! Tremblez! On Sait Tout Le Mystere' - Sharon Baker/Boston Baroque/Martin Pearlman/Christine Goerke
Act Four: Aria: 'De Tes Forfaits La Trame Est Decouvert'/Recitative: 'Qu'oses-tu Proposer, Barbare?' - Stephen Salters/Christine Goerke/Boston Baroque/Martin Pearlman/Rodney Gilfry
Act Four: Chor: 'Vengeons Le Sang De Notre Roi!' - Vinson Cole/Christine Goerke/Boston Baroque/Martin Pearlman/Rodney Gilfry
Act Four: Recitative: 'Arretez! Ecoutez Mes Decrets Eternels' - Jayne West
Act Four: Recitative: 'Ta Soeur! Qu'ai-je Entendu?'/Aria: 'Dans Cet Objet Touchant' - Vinson Cole/Rodney Gilfry
Act Four: Final Chor: 'Les Dieux, Longtemps En Courroux' - Boston Baroque/Martin Pearlman
Martin Pearlman, Director, Discusses Iphigenie En Tauride - Martin Pearlman

Amazon.com

The most popular opera of Gluck might be Orfeo ed Euridice, but this one, Iphigénie en Tauride, is probably his most dramatically involving. It is about familial love and deep friendship and, as such, lacks the usual "love" music and interest. But the waters here run deep, and Martin Pearlman and his singers plumb those depths. Christine Goerke's Iphigénie is dignified, rich with expression and beautiful tone. Almost no less good is the Orestes of Rodney Gilfry, who uses his high baritone with intelligence and ease, singing tenderly when needed and explosively at other times. Vinson Cole brings grainy, expressive tenor to the role of Pylades firmly and effectively; and Stephen Salters, as the villainous Thaos, might sing coarsely, but it suits the character. Pearlman gets vivid, exciting playing from his period-instrument Boston Baroque and, on the second CD, offers a 28-minute, music-illustrated lecture after the close of the opera. The sound is luxurious and clear, and the singers' diction is superb. This set is a wonderful surprise--highly recommended. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

A Great Recording.......2002-12-27

Christine Goerke IS Iphigenie--she has a wonderful voice and is expressive without going "over the top." Boston Baroque gives an exciting performance.

"I defy the most insensitive person to be unmoved.".......2002-02-27

Dateline: Paris, 26 November, 1821. A career decision is made when an eighteen-year-old French student in Paris for the first time, to study for his degree in medicine, attends a performance revival of this Gluck masterpiece and writes home to his sister:

"Imagine, to begin with, an orchestra of eighty musicians who perform with such precision that you'd think it was a single instrument. The opera begins: you see far off a great plain (oh, the illusion is complete) and farther still a glimpse of the sea. A storm is heralded in the orchestra, dark clouds descend slowly and cover the plain; the stage is lit only by flickers of lightning piercing the clouds - but with a truthfulness and a perfection that have to be seen to be believed. There is silence for a moment, no actor on stage, the orchestra muttering, it's as if you can hear the wind sighing - you know, as you do when you're alone in winter and you hear the north wind moaning. [...] Then little by little the tension mounts and the storm bursts. Orestes and Pylades appear, in chains, brought by the barbarians of Tauris... It's more than one can stand. I defy the most insensitive person to be unmoved..."

That young pre-med student was none other than Hector Berlioz, and this Gluck masterpiece (in the opinion of many his greatest, if not his most popular, work) was to "inform" Berlioz (and, to a somewhat lesser extent, Richard Wagner), in terms of directness and dramatic style, for the full length of Berlioz's career. Anyone familiar with the Berlioz skill at combining directness with dramatic impact can readily understand the effect the first hearing of this work had on this youth with unbounded imagination and a natural sense for drama. Needless to say, any plans Berlioz's father had for Hector to follow in the family tradition of medicine (or law) were demolished when he attended that 1821 performance. And music lovers are all the better off because of it.

Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714 - 1787), while German, was an "operatic citizen of Europe," and some of his greatest successes, at both their premieres and their revivals well into the 19th century, were in Paris, with French libretti, as is the case for "Iphiginie en Tauride." Overlapping the Baroque and early Classical periods, Gluck was to "reform" the opera style of the day by eliminating much of the florid ornamentation that was popular at the time and replacing it with a more direct declamatory style in which soloists, chorus and orchestra are fully integrated into an early form of "music drama" as would be practiced by Berlioz and Wagner the better part of a century later.

This 1779 masterpiece starts off with a bang, with a brief orchestral introduction (described far better by the young Berlioz, above, than I could ever do), and the dramatic tension is maintained throughout. Christine Goerke, as Iphigenie, could hardly be bettered; she infuses her role with emotion and drama, and can simply soar over the full ensemble when needed. And all the other soloists are equally fine, even if their roles are secondary to Iphigenie. The orchestra (here, forty rather than eighty instruments) and chorus provide splendid support, and the recording (made in the superb acoustics of Mechanics Hall, in Worcester, MA) are up to the usual Telarc standard.

One would hardly know, from the absolute freshness of the performance and from the style of writing that Gluck perfected for this work, that the work is now nearly 225 years old. Having heard this performance, I'm at a total loss to explain the fall-off in popularity of Gluck following the successes of the nineteenth-century revivals of his works which so affected Berlioz and Wagner.

If you hear no other Gluck opera, you should at least give this one a try. It's much more than a missing puzzle-piece to the story of music-drama development; it's downright thrilling!

Bob Zeidler

Wait for the Minkowski version with Delunsch and Keenlisyde.......2001-03-25

With the exception of "Orphée & Euridice", Gluck's operas remain unpopular and are rarely performed in theaters. Somehow they continue to have the - totally undeserved - reputation of being dull... Listening once to "Iphigenie en Tauride", Gluck's French period masterpiece, should easily convince you that it is not the case : the music is exquisite and there are heartbreaking arias and scenes. Unfortunately, in this recording, Pearlman and the Boston baroque seem to be doing their best to support the reputation of dullness... The singers however give a much better performance. Goerke, especially, has fine voice and her interpretation could be good indeed if it was for a lack of French "feel" to it. This is something that I cannot really define but that I cannot find here. Susan Graham, an American too, but who has built much of her reputation on her interpretation of Berlioz and Massenet, does a far better job in her recent Mozart and Gluck aria CD, singing 3 excerpts of "Iphigenie en Tauride" with style. But for the complete opera, I'm afraid you will have to be patient and wait a few weeks/months that DG Archiv finally issues the Minkowski-directed version which was recorded during a tour of concert performances in 1999, with a mostly French cast : Mireille Delunsch (who was already a wonderful "Armide" with Minkowski as well) , Simon Keenlyside, Yann Beuron and Laurent Naouri.

Opera Novice Loves This Recording.......2001-03-20

I have a number of the better known operas which I enjoy for the music as opposed to the libretto. Although the liner notes indicate the simplicity of the music, I thought it was breathtaking. Apparently so did Berlioz according to the interesting commentary provided by Martin Pearlman. So if you are an opera novice, get this fabulous recording.

Is this a modern opera?.......2000-08-25

This is a terrific recording. Martin Perlman's tempos are wonderful and the orchestral playing is subtle but always clear. Christine Goerke is just stunning. Hearing a voice with this depth of color and size perform a "baroque" role as dramatically and artfully as this, is brilliant casting. Of special note is the recit and aria at the end of act one. The singing is especially nuanced in color throughout the dynamic range of this great voice. Rodney Gilfrey is an excellent Oreste. Especially in his arias---with sustained singing---his line is wonderful with a moving intense characterization. Vinson Cole is his usual wonderful self and never disappoints. Cole's and Gilfrey's voices are not a natural match---still, their duets are well executed and convey the message of the libretto. The rest of the singers are fine but are not the calibre of the principles. The recording itself is very clear with wonderful space around the voices and orchestra. Telarc---one of my favorite labels has exceeded its usual high standard. This recording should be a contender for a number of awards. For a "baroque" work----sure sounds pretty modern to me. This is well worth the investment. Last year's Grammy winner for best chorale recording---- a Britten War Requiem conducted by Robert Schaeffer also featuring Christine Goerke was recorded several years ago. This Iphigenie shows how this artist continues to mature in her ability to communicate compellingly with her remarkable voice. I hope there is more to come.

Average customer rating:

a voice teacher and early music fan
An opera deserving many more listeners
The Last Word in Neoclassical Dignity

Gluck: Iphigénie en Tauride

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Gluck - Iphigénie en Aulide / Dawson · von Otter · van Dam · Aler · Deletré · Cachmaille · Schirrer · Monteverdi Choir · Opéra de Lyon · Gardiner
Strauss - Der Rosenkavalier / Te Kanawa, von Otter, Hendricks, Rydl, Leech, Grundheber, Haitink
Poulenc: Dialogues des Carmélites
Richard Strauss: Salome [Remastered]
Stanford: The Revenge; Songs of the Sea; Songs of the Fleet [Hybird SACD]

ASIN: B00020QWEQ
Release Date: 2004-09-14

Customer Reviews:

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-07-08

After Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1987) had thoroughly revitalized Italian 'opera seria', he devoted his energies to the reform of the French 'tragidie lyrique' illustrated in his operas 'Orphee et Eurydice' and 'Iphigenie aur Tauride', both staged in Paris in 1774.
With 'Iphigenie en Tauride' Gluck took the final step in his operatic reform. There are no longer any recitatives; there are dramatic scenes interspersed with arioso-like structures. The arias hardly have self-contained or conclusive forms; rather they are scenes portraying an emotion. All of this makes for a truly enjoyable group of lovely and highly emotional melodies that seem to go on and on and on.
The story, taken from classical legend and closely linked to the events of 'Iphegnie en Aulide', takes place after the conquest of Troy by the Greeks. The opposition between civllised and uncivilised, between high-minded or tortured morality and barbarism exist throughout the opera. This opera really presents a drama of human passions.
John Eliot Gardiner has assembled an outstanding group of singers, who very capably perform their roles to perfection. Diana Montague (mezzo-soprano) sings with a rich and full tone quality, but also presents a 'lightness' that mezzos do not always 'pull off'. John Aller (tenor) is simply marvelous in this opera with a true operatic sound; it is not surprising that John Nelson chose him 5 years later (1990) to play Jupiter in his award-winning production of Handel's 'Semele'. Thomas Allen (baritone)plays a very exciting and masculine Orestes and he and John sing two marvelous duets in the opera. Rene Massis (bass-baritone)sings his very very exciting and somewhat violent opening aria with great power and gusto. I loved it all. And the orchestra and Monteverdi Choir added their expertise. Gardiner , to my mind, always manages to please.!!!

An opera deserving many more listeners.......2007-02-23

An excellent performace of solowists, choir and orchestra. Enchanting opera of Gluck.

The Last Word in Neoclassical Dignity.......2006-10-01

The plot of this opera is the last word in neoclassical dignity and the triumph of good over evil. The music could not be more perfectly adapted to the theme. Iphigenia's opening prayer for justice follows a pleasant, major key overture like the music representing Elysium in Orphee et Eurydice; but Tauris (Crimea) is no Elysium. A flowing melody is followed by quick music also in major key but darkening to represent a storm at sea as Iphigenia looks on from the shore and begins her prayer. The opera is never as dark as Cherubini's Medee but has plenty of dark moments as the heroine struggles to save her brother Orestes from human sacrifice even before she realizes who he is. The Scythian tyrant Thoas is bent on sacrificing foreigners to save his own barbaric life. The dominant themes are both Greek civilization versus Scythian barbarism and the sacrificial power of friendship characteristic of a central trend in western culture after 1740. The opera is filled with lofty elements such as Iphigenia's dream vision of her mother Clytemnestra's ghost handing her a dagger to avenge her death at the hands of Orestes; Thoas' desperate appeal to Iphigenia as a priestess of Diana to appease the gods with her tears; Orestes and Pylades' argument over which of the two will achieve the honor of martyrdom for the other; the Furies' attempt to torment Orestes for his blood guilt; the heroine's unwillingness to perform human sacrifice; the "noble simplicity" of the priestess' prayer to Diana; and the climactic struggle against Thoas involving Diana's appearance to declare that "my statues" belong to the humane Greeks rather than the Scythian savages.

The Magic of Wunderlich [Includes Bonus DVD]

Average customer rating:

Delightful!
A Great and Varied Collection
MAGIC is a good word to describe Fritz Wunderlich

The Magic of Wunderlich [Includes Bonus DVD]

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Very Best of
Fritz Wunderlich: Great German Tenor
The Art of Fritz Wunderlich
An die Musik [2 CD & DVD Limited Edition]
Schumann: Dichterliebe / Wunderlich, Giesen

ASIN: B000AC5B20
Release Date: 2005-10-11

Tracks:

Finstre Furien, Ihr Geister Der Holle (Crude Furie Delg'orridi Abissi)
Wenn Der Freude Tranen Flieben
Dies Bildnis Ist Bezaubernd Schon
Lebe Wohl Flandrisch Madchen
Nadir, Du Stehst Wirklich Vor Mir - Und In Des Tempels Grund (C'est Toi, Toi Qu'enfin Je Revois - Au Fond Du Temple Saint)
Wohin Seid Ihr Entschwunden (Kuda, Kuda, Kuda Vi Udalilis)
Ich Denk Ihn Lieber Mir Von Meinem Statde - Liebe Ist Seligkeit, Ist Licht Und Leben (Signor Ne Principe Io O Vorrei - E Il So Dell'anima, La Vita E Amora)
O, Lass Uns Fliehen Aus Diesen Mauern (Parigi, O Cara, Noi Lasceremo)
Und Es Blitzten Die Sterne (E Lucevan Le Stelle)
Wenn Es Abend Wird - Grub Mir Mein Wein
Wien Wird Bei Nacht Erst Schon
Heute Nacht Oder Nie
Ein Lied Geht Um Die Welt
Be My Love
Granada

Tracks:

Nun Schwanden Vor Dem Heiligen Strahle/Verzweiflung, Wut Und Schrecken
Mit Wurd' Und Hoheit Angetan
Ma Qual Mai S'ofre, Oh Dei - Fuggi Crudele
Come Mai Creder Deggio - Dalla Sua Pace
Amici Miei - Il Mio Tesoro Intanto
Nur Einen Wunsch, Nur Ein Verlangen (Unis Des La Plus Tendre Enfance)
O Unverhofftes Gluck - Das Hore Ich Von Dir, Von Meinem Freunde? (O Moment Trop Heureux! - Et Tu Pretends Encore Que Tu M'aimes?)
Hier Nimm Den Ring Der Treue (Prendie: L'anel Ti Dono)
O Schweige Still, O Lasse Dich Erbitten (Ne Parle Pas, Rose, Je T'en Supplie)
Doch Nun Zu Dir - Trenne Nicht Das Band Der Liebe
Di Rigori Armato Il Seno
Heimliche Aufforderung Op.27 No.3
Ich Trage Meine Minne Op.32 No.1
Standchen Op.17 No.2
Zueignung Op.10 No.1
Morgen Op.27 No.4

Customer Reviews:

Delightful!.......2007-01-19

What a beautful voice and such an artist. I've always loved Wunderlich's voice and this album was such a delightful surprise to happen across. The Pearl Fishers' duet with Herman Prey is spectacular--it would be even better than Bjoerling/Merrill if it were in the original French!

A Great and Varied Collection.......2005-12-19

Fritz Wunderlich is a name that is familiar to opera buffs, at least those who enjoy the great singers of the past, but his name is not as familiar with the general public. It probably would have been, had it not been for a tragic and fluke accident that claimed his life. For those who are familiar with this great tenor, he's a beloved musician that makes listeners wonder what could have been.

Wunderlich's voice is one that can be light and airy at times, yet it can also have a dramatic intensity. This two disc set includes a variety of pieces that display Wunderlich's wide range and great vocal talent. His excerpts from Mozart are perhaps his strongest. So often the tenor roles in Mozart operas are cast with performers who are agile and can reach the higher notes, but their voices are somewhat weak. Wunderlich shows just how beautiful these arias can be. The same holds true for his arias from EUGENE ONEGIN and the pieces from well known operettas. His "Au Fond De Temple Saint" performed with Hermann Prey (a dream team pairing if there ever was one) is close to the Bjorling/Merrill rendition. We see his versatility in the excerpt from Haydn's CREATION and the live performance of "Di Rigori Armato" from DER ROSENKAVALIER is a treat and allows the listener to compare his live and studio recordings. The bonus DVD has a few slight flaws, but we see, at least in the scenes from THE BARBER OF SEVILLE that he not only has a wonderful voice but a good stage presence as well.

Most of the tracks are performed in German, even the Bellini, Bizet, and Verdi tracks, as was the case in many of the recordings of famous German singers. This may detract at first, especially of we expect to hear gorgeous French singing and it comes out, well German sounding. Still, it's a wonderful set with great variety and shows us what we missed in this tenor whose career had just begun.

MAGIC is a good word to describe Fritz Wunderlich.......2005-11-08

Magic is a good word to describe Fritz Wunderlich (1930-1966), and if you aren't already familiar with his work, you'll see why when you experience this CD.

Many of the tracks are not new to CDs: I'd say 50% of them are also in the "Art of Fritz Wunderlich" set (DG, 7 CDs), including Handel, Mozart, Bellini, and other opera arias. There are 3 tracks from "Don Giovanni" which I had not encountered elsewhere, and a scene from Richard Strauss's "Der Rosenkavalier" + 5 Strauss Lieder (with orchestra) not previously released in recent years.

Wunderlich was never less than the very best, and here is no exception. The bonus DVD has almost 30 minutes of scenes of Wunderlich (Count Almaviva) in Rossini's "Barber of Seville", sung in German with Hermann Prey (Figaro) and Erika Koth (Rosina) from a 1959 black and white TV production, in very good mono sound; and two scenes from Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin", also sung in German, and with a young Brigitte Fassbaender (a little more hiss but very good, full, rich mono sound). The Rossini is available from English sources, and hopefully will be available in the US soon.

Like conductor Karl Bohm (1894-1981), I'm going to try to get as much Fritz Wunderlich material as I can find, CD or DVD, as is practical (and even when it isn't!).

Susan Graham - Mozart & Gluck Arias ~ Il tenero momento

Average customer rating:

Wonderful Voice, Great Selection
Extremely competent but not a permanent addition
An album that is very dear to my heart
Bland & Sleepy
Another American Singer That Shines

Susan Graham - Mozart & Gluck Arias ~ Il tenero momento
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Christoph Willibald Gluck , Susan Graham , Harry Bicket , and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Poèmes de l'Amour

ASIN: B000056BEZ
Release Date: 2001-02-06

Tracks:

Paride Ed Elena: Oh, Del Mio Dolce Ardor
Le Nozze Di Figaro: Non So Piu Cosa Son, Cosa Faccio
La Clemenza Di Tito: Parto, Ma Tu, Ben Mio
Iphigenie En Tauride: Non, Je N'espere Plus... O Toi Qui Prolongeas Mes Jours
Iphigenie En Tauride: O Malheureuse Iphigenie!
Iphigenie En Tauride: Non, Ect Affreux Devoir... Je T'implore Et Je Tremble
Le Nozze Di Figaro: Voi Che Sapete
La Clemenza Di Tito: Deh, Per Questo Istante Solo
Orphee Et Eurydice: Qu'entends-je? Qu'a-t-il Dit?... Amour, Viens Rendre A Mon Ame
Idomeneo: Non Ho Colpa
Orphee Et Eurydice: J'ai Perdu Mon Eurydice
Lucio Silla: Dunque Sperar Poss'io... Il Tenero Momento

Amazon.com

The "tender moment" of this collection's title comes from a stunning scene in an opera Mozart wrote as a teenager, Lucio Silla. It refers to the heightening of sensitivity and expectation that love, above all else, instills. But the Mozart example (with which the album ends) might also be taken as a metonym for the way in which the most powerful emotions, including love in all its guises, from ardor to lament, can intensify the moment. It's a process that opera itself tries to replicate through the wonderful alchemy of music, text, and character. In her second recording for Erato (following the extraordinary Ned Rorem anthology), American mezzo-soprano Susan Graham focuses on the "tender moment" as depicted by Mozart and Gluck. These two masters of opera aren't often paired, though each in his highly distinct, individual way insisted on elevating the genre beyond the level of frivolous entertainment and display that the century they shared found so tempting. Graham's program of six scenes from each suggests some striking moments of common ground in terms of the larger classical aesthetic, though the success of the whole enterprise is mixed. Certainly, Graham makes a case for the radiant beauty of Mozart's opera seria writing (her own operatic debut was in Lucio Silla), which still tends to be undervalued--as though it were simply a case of the composer being enchained by excessive genre "conventions." There's a magical balance between form and content, substance and decoration in "Parto" from La Clemenza di Tito (notable enough for Antony Pay's melting basset clarinet obbligato), and in the lengthiest selection (the last one, from Lucio Silla), though Graham here exposes the instability of her lowest register.

But to whatever extent Mozart and Gluck might intersect in sensibility, the latter conjures a remarkably different universe when he depicts love's loss and abandon. Somehow the scenes from Iphigénie and, especially, Orphée et Eurydice (in its French version here) don't register as stylistically different enough and they lack that strange, altogether Gluckian combination of objective purity with emotional extremity. And as Mozart's adolescent Cherubino, the kind of intensity that Graham conveys so convincingly on stage comes across a tad too contrived. On disc alone, not all of the selections can capture the spell Graham typically casts in live performance through her combination of singing, "emotional intelligence," and stage presence. Still, it's an intelligent program, and Graham has proved to be a winning exponent of period performance style (as in 2000's superb Alicina). The match here with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment is a happy one. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Voice, Great Selection.......2007-01-10

This is one of the best vocal CDs released in the last several years. If you don't know Susan Graham's gift, this CD is the best introduction. I'd also recommend it if you're not especially an opera fan, but are interested in a very listenable introduction to top-notch singing. I've listened to this over and over, and have not filed the CD away for months.

The balance of material between Gluck and Mozart works surprisingly well. Graham eschews the showy and flashy, yet sings with extraordinary power and passion. The accompaniment is excellent, never getting in the way. The recording is almost perfect.

In short, a pleasurable CD that will improve the quality of your life.

Extremely competent but not a permanent addition.......2004-12-16

Very well-focalized, and an evenly produced sound (granted, there is no special color, nor low register) --- but the problem is the anonymous quality of the interpretations. If you want to truly understand Iphigenie's predicament in her aria 'O malheureuse Iphigenie', seek Janet Baker. Not a generalized torment beautifully sounded -- but a moment of tormented grandeur.

An album that is very dear to my heart.......2002-07-22

First my Dad dies unexpectedly and the September 11th attack happens two weeks later. A very unhappy and distressing time in my life. I spent much of this time alone at my parent's home sitting in their big garden on Sunday afternoons listening to this CD and drinking some wine. It helped me make sense of the world around me and my own world at the time - beauty and truth continue to exist even after the worst happenings. "Ô malheureuse Iphigénie!" perfectly reflected my feelings at the time.

The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment is fabulous, expressive and colourful - you'd never want to hear this music on modern instruments again after hearing them! Susan Graham's voice is expressive and has much pathos - without ever becoming melodramatic.
The repertoire is well selected and there is a very tasteful blend of known and less well known arias. I hope that Ms Graham makes another CD with the OAE again soon! I could stand another disc like this one!

This disc is also the perfect disc to buy with the Cecilia Bartoli Gluck disc. Ms Bartoli tackles Gluck's earlier opera seria arias - while Ms Graham mainly delves into the later reform opera arias - as well as some Mozart. I cherish both discs.

Please consider this CD for your collection.

Bland & Sleepy.......2002-01-02

I enjoy Susan Graham in performance and on CD (her Ned Rorem CD is excellent). This time I was disappointed by the bland and nearly featureless impression this left me with. It is pablum start to finish to my ears. And too...her weak lower register is exposed unflatteringly in this repertoire.

For a study in opposites, try Ewa Podles in the same repertoire and buckle yourself in for the ride.

Another American Singer That Shines.......2001-12-23

Susan Graham has wondeful mezzo voice and she has choosen a repertoire that suits it to a tee. Her creamy and pure tone illuminate the Gluck and Mozart arias in a such beautiful way. If you enjoy this you may want to try her recording of the Berlioz les Nuits d'ete, another group of songs that suit her voice so well. Ms. Graham represents along with Renee Fleming and Ruth Ann Swenson the best of the new American opera singers.

Gluck - Iphigénie en Tauride / Delunsch · Keenlyside · Beuron · Naouri · Cousin · Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski

Average customer rating:

Heartbreakingly beautiful and powerful
the ultimate recording

Gluck - Iphigénie en Tauride / Delunsch · Keenlyside · Beuron · Naouri · Cousin · Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski
Christoph Willibald Gluck , Marc Minkowski , Mireille Delunsch , Simon Keenlyside , Les Musiciens du Louvre , Yann Beuron , Laurent Naouri , Alexia Cousin , Claire Delgado-Boge , Nicki Kennedy , and Laurent Alvaro
Manufacturer: Archiv Produktion
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Gluck - Armide / Delunsch, Workman, Naouri, Podles, Beuron, Polegato, Kozená, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Minkowski
Gluck - Iphigénie en Aulide / Dawson · von Otter · van Dam · Aler · Deletré · Cachmaille · Schirrer · Monteverdi Choir · Opéra de Lyon · Gardiner
Gluck: Paride ed Elena
Handel - Giulio Cesare / Mijanovic · Kozená · von Otter · Hellekant · B. Mehta · A. Ewing · Bertin · Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski
Offenbach - La Belle Hélène / Lott, Beuron, Sénéchal, Naouri, Le Roux, Todorovitch, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Minkowski

ASIN: B00005AAFC
Release Date: 2001-05-08

Tracks:

Act One: Scene 1: Introduction
Act One: Scene 1: Le calme reparait
Act One: Scene 1: O songe affreux! nuit effroyable!
Act One: Scene 1: O race de Pelops
Act One: Scene 1: Air: O toi qui prolongeas mes jours
Act One: Scene 1: Quand verrons-nous tarir nos pleurs?
Act One: Scene 2: Dieux! le malheur en tous lieux suit mespas
Act One: Scene 2: Air: De noirs pressentiments
Act One: Scene 3: Les dieux apaisent leur courroux/Act One: Scene 4: Et vous a vos dieux tutelaires
Act One: Ballet
Act One: Scene 5: Malhaureaux! quel dessein a vous-memes contraire
Act One: Scene 6: Il nous fallait du sang
Act Two Scene 1: Quel silence effrayant!
Act Two Scene 1: Air: Dieux qui me poursuivez
Act Two Scene 1: Quel langage accablant
Act Two Scene 1: Air: Unis des la plus tendre enfance
Act Two Scene 2: Etrangers malheureux, il faut vous separer!
Act Two Scene 3: Dieux protecteurs de ces affreux rivages
Act Two Scene 3: Air: Le calme rentre dans mon coeur!
Act Two Scene 4: Vengeons et la nature et les dieux en courroux!
Act Two Scene 5: Je vois toute l'horreur
Act Two Scene 6: O ciel! de mes tourments
Act Two Scene 6: Patrie infortunee
Act Two Scene 6: Honorez avec moi ce heros qui n'est plus!
Act Two Scene 6: Air avec choeur: Contemplez ces tristes apprets

Tracks:

Act Three: Scene 1: Je cede a vos desirs
Act Three: Scene 2: Voici ces captifs malheureux
Act Three: Scene 3: Trio: Je pourrais du tyran tromper la barbarie
Act Three: Scene 4: Duo: Et tu pretends encore que tu m'aimes
Act Three: Scene 4: Quoi! je ne vaincrai pas ta constance funeste?
Act Three: Scene 4: Air: Ah! mon ami, j'implore ta pitie!
Act Three: Scene 5: Malgre toi, je saurai t'arracher au trepas!
Act Three: Scene 5: Quoi? toujours a mes voeux vous etes insensible?
Act Three: Scene 6: Puisque le ciel a vos jours s'interesse
Act Three: Scene 7: Divinite des grandes ames
Act Four: Scene 1: Non, cet affreux devoir je ne puis le remplir
Act Four: Scene 2: O Diane, sois-nous propice
Act Four: Scene 2: La force m'abandonne
Act Four: Scene 2: Que ces regrets touchants
Act Four: Scene 2: Hymne: Chaste fille de Latone
Act Four: Scene 2: Quel moment! dieux puissants, secourez-moi!
Act Four: Scene 2: Ah! Laissons-la ce souvenir fureste
Act Four: Scene 4: De tes forfaits la trame est decouverte
Act Four: Scene 6: Arretez! ecoutez mes decrets eternels!
Act Four: Scene 7: Air: Dans cet objet touchant
Act Four: Scene 7: Les dieux, longtemps en courroux

Amazon.com

Following the success of 1999's thrilling Armide, Marc Minkowski and his excellent cast fully convey the power and drama of Gluck's masterpiece. They pull you into the story (based on a play by Euripides) through the emotional truth of their interpretation. The opening quiet strings create an air of mystery dispelled by a ferocious storm magnificently conveyed by these early-music specialists. Within a few phrases of Iphigénie's opening lament, Delunsch creates a believable, sympathetic character. Keenlyside as Oreste and Beuron as his sidekick, Pylade, pack a ton of emotion into their singing, too. Minkowski takes chances, going for the emotional jugular in ways that some may find excessive. But the stakes involved for these characters are of the life-and-death variety, and this recording gets that across as no other does. A more contained version by Martin Pearlman's Boston Baroque on Telarc, boasting another outstanding Iphigénie in Christine Goerke, will appeal to those who find Minkowski overly forceful. I'd hate to be without either. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

Heartbreakingly beautiful and powerful.......2006-09-18

Let's get a few things straight, alright?
Christoph Willibald Ritter von Gluck couldn't write counterpoint if his life depended upon it. Yes, Handel was right about that. Herr Gluck's orchestrations are imaginative and colourful, but he was hardly an idiomatic writer of music for the instruments he chose. One could easily imagine him banging out tunes on his harpsichord over a few glasses of wine with his wife, Marianne, after dinner.

Yet Gluck is a great composer.

Why?

Well, he wrote stuff like this. That's why. Why is Iphigénie en Tauride a masterpiece (I am sure it is)? Well, I think it is because of Gluck's sense of theatre and pace, word painting, harmony and melody. Gluck's music is simple and heartfelt music writ large and beautifully and effectively writ large. Gluck knew what he was doing even when he was simply covering up his weaknesses.

This recording of Iphigénie en Tauride is, in a simple word, perfect. I bought this recording and I am profoundly satisfied with it. I will buy other recordings and DVDs of this work, but I am confident that none will ever surpass this this recording.

Listen to "Ô malheureuse Iphigénie!" sung with incredible feeling and style by Mireille Delunsch and I am sure you will be sold. In this aria, constructed very simply, with off-the-beat strings and plaintive oboe solo, one can hear Iphigénie's misery upon learning of her family's death - she gets closer and closer to a nervous breakdown as the aria progresses.

Gluck wasn't a technically great composer, but he understood human psychology and how to make it manifest in his music.

Buy all of Minkowski's Gluck Paris operas, please.

the ultimate recording.......2001-05-14

Minkowski and Les Musiciens du Louvre have done it again : there are few baroque ensembles who are able to bring so much life in a recording. Thanks to outstanding singing, playing and directing, this recording of Gluck's masterpiece (his best opera if you ask me !) is truly a theatre experience. This is much better than anything recorded before : the Muti/Scala Sony recording with Vaness was always a bit too "exotic", and the Boston Baroque for Pearlmann (with Goerke) are too boring for words. The Gardiner version (with modern instruments) on Philips was the only recommandable version so far, but Diana Montaigue is no match for Delunsch. What is more, the cast is outstanding. The soloists all have a perfect command of the language (Keenlyside, the only non-native speaker of the cast, included), and, what is more, a perfect understanding the verses they declaim : finally a recording that will not make French ears cringe. Naouri's bass, somewhat lacking in colour, might not be my favourite but is very suitable as the barbaric king Thoas. Beuron's Pylade is generous and moving. Keenlyside's portrayal of the tortured Oreste is breathtaking throughout : there is so much suffering in the voice. Delunsch, whom I found slightly distant in the concert hall, here just blows away any reservations I might have had : her Iphigénie is of classical grandeur and her singing superb... Listen to her big 2nd act aria with choir, the famous "O malheureuse Iphigénie..." and you will be sold ! If you are not moved, this is just not the work for you !

Average customer rating:

Just the best of the best.

Maria Callas Live

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000AMUU9E
Release Date: 2005-11-08

Tracks:

Casta Diva...Fino Al Rito...Ah! Bello A Me Ritorna
Oh, Rimembranza!...Ah Si, Fa Core
Perfido! Or Basti!
Mira, O Norma...Cedi, Deh Cedi!...Si, Fino All'ore Estreme
In Mia Man Alfin Tu Sei
Deh! Non Volerli Vittime
Sorgete; E In Me Dover...Quando A Un Tratto - Various Artists
Ah! Lo Sento
Cedo Al Destin Orribile
Oh! S'io Potessi Dissipar Le Nubi...Col Sorriso D'innocenza..Oh, Sole! Ti Vela Di Tenebra Fonda

Tracks:

Care Compagne...Come Per Me Sereno...Sovra Il Sen
Son Geloso Del Zefiro Errante
D'Un Pensiero E D'un Accento...Non Piu Nozze - Various Artists
Ah! Non Credea Mirarti
Ah! Non Giunge
Regnava Nel Silenzio...Quando Rapito In Estasi
Qui Di Sposa...Verranno A Te
Soffriva Nel Pianto...Tu Che Vedi Il Pianto Mio
Chi Mi Frena - Various Artists
Il Dolce Suono...Ardon Gli Incensi...Spargi D'amaro Pianto - Various Artists

Tracks:

Dei Tuo figli...O Fatal Vello D'or
Creonte A Me Solo
E Che? Io Son Medea!
Come, Innocente Giovane...Non V'ha Sguardo
Io Sentii Sulla Mia Mano - Various Artists
Ove Sono?...In Quegli Sguardi Impresso...Ah! Segnata E La Mia Sorte - Various Artists
Va, Infelice
Fin Dall'eta Piu Tenera...Salira D'Inghilterra Sul Trono
Piangete Voi?...Al Dolce Guidami...Qual Mesto Suon?...Coppia Iniqua - Various Artists

Tracks:

Di Mio Padre...Deh! Pelopea Stirpe!...O Tu, Che In Tua Pieta Crudel
Sommi Dei!...O Sventurata Ifigenia
Il Voto Pago Andra...Io Ti Veggio
Ah! L'esecrando Rito...Io T'imploro Anelante
Di Quai Soavi Lagrime
Omai Da Lunge...Perche Di Stolto Giubilo
Donna...Che! Possente Numi!...Quest'alma E Troppo Debole
Ah! Fuggi Da Morte
Ecco Il Segnal!
Ecco L'orrido Campo...Ma Dall'arido Stela Divulsa
Teco Io Sto...O Qual Soave Brivido
A Tal Colpo...Morro, Ma Prima In Grazia

Tracks:

Libiamo, Ne' Lieti Calici
E Strano! E Strano...Ah! Fors'e Lui...Sempre Libera
Non Sapete...Ah! Dite Alla Giovine
Dammi Tu Forza, O Cielo!
Teneste La Promessa...Addio Del Passato
Ah, Violetta!...Se Una Pudica Vergine - Various Artists
Ritorna Vincitor!
Al Tuo Consiglio Io Cedo...Gloria All'egitto - Various Artists
Qui Radames Verra!...O Patria Mia
Ciel! Mio Padre!
O Terra, Addio

Tracks:

Nel Di Della Vittoria...Vieni! T'afferetta!...Or Tutti Sorgete
La Luce Langue
Una Macchia E Qui Tuttora
Gente La Dentro!...Mario! Mario!...Non La Sospiri, La Nostra Casetta
Orsu, Tosca, Parlate - Various Artists
Vissi D'arte
Senti, L'ora E Vicina...Amaro Sol Per Te...Presto! Su, Mario! - Various Artists
Ecco L'altare...Ervate Possente
Come Sa Amare!...La Mamma Morta
Benedico Il Destino! - Various Artists

Tracks:

Ben Io T'invenni...Anch'io Dischiuso Un Giorno (Abigaille, Act II)
Dov'e L'indiana Bruna? (Bell Song) (Lakme, Act II)
Tutte Le Torture (Costanze, Act II)
Ahime! Che Notte Oscura...Ombra Leggera (Shadow Song) (Dinorah, Act II)
Depuis Le Jour (Louise, Act III)
D'amore Al Dolce Impero (Armida, Act II)
Bel Raggio Lusinghier (Smiramide, Act I)
Ma Chi E Questa Bella...Ai Vostri Giochi...Ed Ora A Voi (Ofelia, Act IV)
Vanne, Lasciami...D'amor Sull'ali Rosee (Leonora, Act IV)
Pace, Pace, Mio Dio! (Leonora, Act IV)
Dolce E Calmo (Liebestod) Isolde, Act III)

Tracks:

Una Voce Poco Fa (Rosina, Act I)
Tu Che Vedi Il Mio Tormento (Tu Che Invoco) (Giulia, Act II)
Surta E La Notte...Ernani! Nernai, Involami (Elvira, Act I)
Tu Che Le Vanita (Elsabetta, Act IV)
Si. Mi Chiamano Mimi (Mimi, Act I)
L'altra Notte In Fondo Al Mare (Margherita, Act III)
L'amour Est Un Oiseau rebelle (Habanera) (Carmen, Act I)
Pres Des Remparts De Seville (Seguedille) (Carmen, Act I)
Nacqui All'affanno...Non Piu Mesta (Cenerentola, Act II)
Je Ne Suis Que Faiblesse...Adieu, Notre Petite Table (Manon, Act II)
Werther! Qui M'aurait Dit...Des Cris Joyeux (Charlotte, Act III)
Tu? Tu? Piccolo Iddio (Butterfly, Act II)
O Mio Babbino Caro (Lauretta)

Customer Reviews:

Just the best of the best........2006-02-08

From all the compilations of Maria Callas EMI has issued this is BY FAR the best one.

Unlike her studio recitals, unequal and mostly recorded when her voice was starting to decay, this live records take you back to the glorious early fifties when the young Callas was changing the history of opera forever.

The first 6 CD's are scenes from stage performances and the last 2 from recitals.

Chronollogically, this compilation starts with the legendary (and controversial) 1951 Mexico-City "Aida" and ends with the 1964 Covent Garden "Tosca" (when Callas' voice was just the shade of itself but at the peak of her dramatic skills).
Listen to the electrifying poetry of the 1952 "La sonnambula", to the devorating flame of 1955 "La traviata" and "Lucia". Not to forget the 1952 "Norma", the 1957 "Ana Bolena" and some rarities like "Andrea Chénier", "Ifigenia in Tauride" and "Poliuto".
The only great absent of this collection is "Armida"...

As for the the 2 recital CD's, the first one contains arias from concerts between 1952 and 1958, when Callas was in full command of her voice. Nobody else was capable of singing arias from Nabucco and Lakmé on the same recital! And listen to the last aria: Wagner's Isolde's dead.

The second one, contains arias from 1959 to 1963. Here, Callas voice had diminished considerably and she was not anymore capable of the same technical miracles, but she still managed to give thrilling dramatical interpretations (listen to the dead scene of Madama Butterfly of the 1963 Paris recital!!!)

In 80% of this compilation you can hear the young Callas creating her own legend, giving herself completly on the stage.

Christoph Willibald Gluck: Iphigénie en Tauride

Average customer rating:

Christoph Willibald Gluck: Iphigénie en Tauride

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Handel: Alcina - Arleen Auger, Delia Jones, John Tomlinson, Richard Hickox, City of London Baroque Sinfonia

ASIN: B00000E348
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Average customer rating:

Correction
Fritz Wunderlich can do no wrong....
The Wonder of Wunderlich
I wish I could give this release more than 5 stars: it's terrific!!!

The Art of Fritz Wunderlich

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Carlo Bergonzi - The Sublime Voice ~ 40 Tracks from the Legendary Tenor

ASIN: B0009PLMQW
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

Duetto And Chorus: Kommt, Eilet Und Laufet
Aria: Sanfte Soll Mein Todeskummer
Recitative And Chorale: O Schmerz! Hier Zittert Das Gequalte Herz
Aria With Chorus: Ich Will Bei Meinem Jesu Wachen
Recitative: Mein Jesus Schweigt Zu Falschen Lugen Stille
Aria: Geduld!
Duet: Et Misericordia
Aria: Deposuit Potentes
Recitative: So Stehe Denn, Du Gottergeb'ne Seele
Aria: Adam Muss In Uns Verwesen
Chorus: Jauchzet, Frohlocket, Auf, Preiset Die Tage
Recitative: Es Begab Sich Aber Zu Der Zeit
Aria: Frohe Hirten, Eilt, Ach Eilet
Aria: Ich Will Nur Dir Zu Ehren Leben
Recitative: Und Liess Versammeln Alle Hohenpriester
Terzetto: Ach! Wann Wird Die Zeit Erscheinen
Recitative: Und Gott Befahl Ihnen Im Traum-Genug, Mein Schatz Geht Nicht Von Hier
Aria: Nun Mogt Ihr Stolzen Feinde Schrecken

Tracks:

Overture
Aria: Hier Soll Ich Dich Denn Sehen
Recitative And Aria: Konstanze, Dich Wiederzusehen, Dich!/O Wie Angstlich, O Wie Feurig
Aria: Wenn Der Freude Tranen Fliessen
Quartet: Ach! Belmonte! Ach, Mein Leben!
Aria: Ich Baue Ganz Auf Deine Starke
Recitative And Aria: Welch Ein Geschick!/Wie, Du Solltest Fur Mich Sterben!
Aria: Dies Bildnis Ist Bezaubernd Schon
Zum Ziele Fuhrt Dich Diese Bahn
Wie Stark Ist Nicht Dein Zauberton
Der Welcher Wandert Diese Strasse Vol Beschwerden
Tamino Mein! O Welch Ein Gluck!

Tracks:

Duet: Strahlt Auf Mich Der Blitz Des Goldes - Hermann Prey
Duet: Hier Nimm Den Ring Der Treue
Scene And Duet: Ich Denk Ihn Lieber Mir Von Meinem Stande/Liebe Ist Seligkeit, Ist Licht Und Leben
Toast: O Freunde, So Leeret In Vollen Zugen - Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Duet: Ich Sah Euch Lieblich Und Engelsschon - Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Duet: O, Lass Uns Fliehen Aus Diesen Mauern - Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Scene And Duet: er Ist's! Carlos! Mein PRinz!/Gott, Der Entflammte Der Liebe Heisse Glut - Hermann Prey
Duet: Infame Feder! Welch Scheusslicher Pinsel/Ach, Geliebte! Nie Kehrst Du mir Wieder! - Hermann Prey
Aria: Und Es Blitzten Die Sterne
Scene: Nicht An Mich, Geliebter, Denke
Duet: Du Sussester Engel, Wie Herrlich Hast Du Geteufelt!
Leukippos, Du?
Arioso: Ja, Ich Lieb Sie, Olga
Aria: Wohin Seid Ihr Entschwunden

Tracks:

Recitative And Arioso: Holdes Laubgezewig, Du Schones/Schattige Ruh, Nie Gab Natur Sie Mir
Aria: Der Gedanke An Die Flammen Der Liebe
Aria: Bleibt Ihr Treu Dem, Der Euch So Verachtet?
Aria: Finstre Furie, Ihr Geister Der Holle
Aria: Nur Einen wunsch, Nur Ein Verlangen - Hermann Prey
Recitative And Duet: O Unverhofftes Gluck/Das Hore Ich Von Dir, Von Meinem Freunde? - Hermann Prey
Ma Se Il Nostro Gioir/Alcun Non Sia
Perche A Lo Sdegno/Padre Cortese/Si Non Vedro
Aria: Erwacht In Meinem Herzen
Duet: Nur Weinen Lernte Ich/Nur Klagen lernte Ich
Aria: Keine Schlange Lasst Sich Toten
Romance: O Schweige Still, O Lasse Dich Erbitten
Trio: Doch Nun Zu Dir/Trenne Nicht Das Band Der Liebe - Hermann Prey
Aria: Man Wird Ja Einmal Nur Geboren
Song: Lebe Wohl, Mein Flandrisch Madchen - Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Recitative And Duet: Du Stehst Wirklich Vor Mir/Der tempel Brahmas Strahlt - Hermann Prey

Tracks:

I. Im Wunderschonen Monat Mai
II. Aus Meinen Tranen Spriessen
III. Die Rose, Die Lilie, Die Taube, Die Sonne
IV. Wenn Ich In Deine Augen Seh
V. Ich Will Meine Seele Tauchen
VI. Im Rhein, Im Heiligen Strome
VII. Ich Grolle Nicht
VIII. Und Wussten's Die Blumen, Die Kleinen
IX. Das Ist Ein Floten Und Geigen
X. Hor Ich Das Liedchen Klingen
XI. Ein Jungling Liebt Ein Madchen
XII. Am Leuchtenden Sommermorgen
XIII. Ich Hab Im Traum Geweinet
XIV. Allnachtlich Im Traume Seh Ich Dich
XV. Aus Alten Marchen Winkt Es
XVI. Die Alten Bosen Lieder
Zartliche Liebe: 'Ich Liebe Dich' WoO 123
Adelaide Op.46
Resignation WoO 149
Der Kuss Op.128
Was Ist Silvia, Saget An
Lied Eines Schiffers An Die Dioskuren D 360
Liebhaber In Allen Gestalten D 558
Der Einsame D 800
Im Abendrot Op. Post. D 799
Leise Flehen Meine Lieder
An Die Laute D 905
Der Musensohn D 764
An Die Musik D 547

Tracks:

Granada
Mattinata
Funiculi-Funicula
O Sole Mio
Vergiss Mein Nicht
Ein Lied Geht Um Die Welt
Du Bist Die Welt Fur Mich
Ich Kusse Ihre Hand, Madame
Caro Mio Ben
Ave Maria
Plaisir D'Amour
La Danza
Serenade: Fern Im Weiten Land, Dort Unten Im Suden
Be My Love
Santa Lucia
Tiritomba
Heute Nacht Oder Nie

Tracks:

Wien, Wien, Nur Du Allein
Denk Dir, Die Welt War Ein Blumenstrauss
Ich Kenn Ein Kleines Wegerl Im Helenental
In Wien Gibt's Manch Winziges Gasserl
Draussen In Sievering
Ich Weiss Auf Der Wieden Ein Kleines Hotel
Ich Muss Wieder Einmal In Grinzing Sein
Im Prater Bluhn Wieder Die Baume
Herr Hofrat, Erinnern Sie Sich Noch?
I Hab Die Schonen Maderln Net Erfunden
Es Steht Ein Alter Nussbaum Drausst In Heiligenstadt
Wien Wird Bei Nacht Erst Schon
Wenn Es Abend Wird/Gruss Mir Mein Wien
Ob Blond, Ob Braun, Ich Liebe Alle Frau'n
Weine Nicht, Bricht Eine Schone Frau Dir Das Herz
Mein Herz Ruft Immer Nur Nach Dir, O Marita
Eine Kleine Fruhlingsweise
Schlaf Ein, Mein Blond-Engelein
Annchen Von Tarau
Still Wie Die Nacht

Customer Reviews:

Correction.......2006-12-13

Now folks, both of what the two other reviewers wrote about the tragical death of Fritz Wunderlich is wrong. Wunderlich died in hospital at September 17 1966. He had broken his skull, when he fell down the stairs in the hunting-house of a friend. Late in the evening of September 16, Wunderlich, as usual when not at home, had phoned his wife in Munich. He was very tired from strolling through the forest the whole day, making out the ideal locations for the hunt, which should start early in the next morning (Wunderlich was a passionate hunter). After he had wished his wife a good night, he went to the staircase in order to go down to his bedroom at the first floor. He still wore his heavy hunting boots - with open shoestrings! As walking downstairs, Wunderlich struggled over the open shoestrings and grabbed for the banisters, which was not more than a rope, fixed to the wall. The banisters teared out, and Wunderlich fell down the whole stairs. Fritz Wunderlich died in hospital the next day. It was only short before his 36'th birthday. An exceptional singing career had come to an untimely end. Some people believe that Wunderlich was drunken at the time of accident. If this is true can't be proven any more. But still this is not what his close friends said, regarding his accident and his death. In my opinion Wunderlich was the last of the really great tenors of the last century. All the tenors which came to fame after him (sorry folks, even such maestros as Pavarotti and Domingo) lack a certain quality in singing. It's the ease of breath flow, or singing on the breath without pushing the voice, it's the overtones, the legato, the mezza voce, the messa di voce and many more things - in short: the overall beauty of the voice through both registers. Wunderlich was the last tenor who had all this. Other examples are Caruso, McCormack, Gigli (despite the sobbing in his later recordings) and of course the wonderful Jussi Björling. But these are only some few names. If you listen for example to the cd's in the box "Famous tenors of the past" you will find that there were many very good and outstanding tenors in the first half of the 20'th century and - as we can only assume - in the time before the invention of the grammophone. Take a close look at todays famous tenors (I know, there are some quite good and promising ones) but what are they in comparison to those tenors (or better to say, to their voices and singing) I just mentioned before?

Please make your own decision.

Fritz Wunderlich can do no wrong...........2006-05-05

... okay, maybe. It's just that I've never heard a recording I didn't love. And I prefer that he sing everything in German even when that means not using original language.

This is a bit strange because I'm most often bugged by Don Carlos and Vepres in Italian (just a personal quirk). Of course, I'm also bugged by dropping the "s" in Don Carlos, which is always incorrect. The man's name IS Carlos whether in Italian or French.

I tried to write Mr. Avila a personal note, but could not, so let me say that Fritz Wunderlich did not die of cancer, but a dreadful accident in Scotland (I'll not go into the whys and wherefores, I just wanted to set PART of the record straight.)

The Wonder of Wunderlich.......2005-11-22

Deutsche Grammophone does it again! This is an extensive 3-cd compilation album featuring the artistry of the great German tenor Fritz Wunderlich in a variety of vocal repertoire - Baroque cantata/oratorio, opera and Lieder. Like the other critic pointed out, I first heard Fritz sinigng a superb Tamino in the Karl Bohm Magic Flute, although I have also heard him sing Lieder opposite the mezzo soprano Christa Ludwig and baritone Dietrich Fischer Dieskau, who were his contemporaries and colleagues. Wunderlich died tragically in 1966 of cancer. He inspired a generation of purely lyric tenors or "tenors di grazie" whose charming voice would never roughen and lack grace. His Germanic style earned him popularity in World War II Europe and he was the leading exponent of Lieder in the 50's. His tenor voice is glorious, as close to a male angel as possible. On this recording, we are treated to sumptuous arias from Bach's Christmas/Easter Oratorios, and movements from 2 cantatas. Also noteworthy are the unsurpassed performances of Mozart tenor heroes- such as Belmonte from "Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail" (Abduction from the Seraglio) and his unbeatable Tamino from Die Zauberflote The Magic Flute. He sings bel canto opera arias fo tenor, from master composers Rossinni, Bellini and Verdi. While I don't much like that he is singing Italian arias in German, one must remember that at this time, in the LP Era of World War II Germany and Austria, German-born opera singers sang Italian opera in German translation/revisions. While many German singers could indeed sing in Italian, they were mostly trained to sing it in German because of excessive national pride and because Germans viewed Italian opera as course and un-melodic. Still, there have been superb German singers who sang in Italian like Wagner diva Birgit Nilsson,baritone Dietrich Fischer Dieskau, tenor Peter Schreier, soprano Edda Moser, baritone Walter Berry, tenor Herman Pretty, all post-Wunderlich sensations. Wunderlich sings Lieder in one CD with great and unrivaled musicianship. Especially impressive are the Viennese pieces. Further to the cd's this album is equipped with photos of Wunderlich and his family and a detailed profile biography.

I wish I could give this release more than 5 stars: it's terrific!!!.......2005-10-28

I knew little about the German tenor Fritz Wunderlich (1930-1966), except reading the accolades given to his recordings and performances by reviewers in "American Record Guide" over the past 13 years. I knew Wunderlich recorded the role of Tamino in the famous DG recording of Mozart's "Die Zauberflote", with Karl Bohm/Berlin Philharmonic (Now on DG Originals CDs), but was not aware of what a wide range of repertoire he had until hearing this release.

This release has a wide variety of Wunderlich's discography, including Bach arias from his Christmas and Easter Oratorios, and movements from 2 cantatas; his Mozart roles in "Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail" (Eugen Jochum/Bavarian Radio Orchestra) and "Die Zauberflote" (Karl Bohm/Berlin Philharmonic); a variety of arias and duets by Rossini, Bellini, Verdi, Richard Strauss, mostly sung in German, and with Hermann Prey, baritone and Erika Koth, soprano in many of the duets; Baroque arias by Handel, from "Xerxes" (including the famous "Ombre mai fu" sung in German) and "Julius Caesar", selections from Monteverdi's "Orfeo" (an early track from 1955 sung in Italian); Schumann's "Dichterliebe", 4 Beethoven Lieder, including "Adelaide" and "Der Kuss"; and 9 Schubert lieder, including "An der Musik," and "Der Musensohn", all with Hubert Giesen, piano; Popular songs such as "Granada" and Viennese songs, with chamber orchestra accompaniment. There are no texts for the songs, but you may have text booklets with other CD releases, so don't really need them when you hear Wunderlich's beautiful voice.

There is a booklet with articles about Wunderlich's career, including a preface by his widow, Eva Wunderlich, photos of Wunderlich as a boy and young man, with his wife Eva in 1965, and children Constanze, Wolfgang, and Barbara. I enjoy reading and looking at the booklet, even apart from listening to the beautiful recordings.

Wunderlich was a genius, and his voice sounds great in every track, mono (some, but not a majority) and stereo (most of the tracks in the 7 discs are stereo) alike. If you love great music, and opera, but like me aren't often of a mind to sit still for 3 hours to listen to one, get this. It's a great release, and reasonably priced to boot. I'm thankful to God for great music, for the ability to hear and feel, and for Fritz Wunderlich and his service to music lovers everywhere.

Average customer rating:

One of the greatest tenors ever
One Of The Finest Male Singers We Will Ever Know

Wunderlich, Fritz

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Ludwig, Christa | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Tracks:

The Magic Flute: Aria, Act I: Dies Bildnis Ist Bezaubernd Schon
The Abduction From The Seraglio: Aria, Act I: Hier Soll Ich Dich Denn Sehen
The Abduction From The Seraglio: Aria, Act II: Wenn Der Freude Tranen Fliessen
La Traviata: Act I: O Freunde, So Leeret In Vollen Zugen (Libiamo Ni' Lieti Calici)
La Traviata: Duet, Act I: O, Lass Uns Fliehen Aus Diesen Mauern (Parigi, O Cara, Noi Lasceremo)
Eugen Onegin: Aria, Act I: Wohin Seid Ihr Entschwunden (Kuda, Kuda, Kuda Vi Udalilis)
Zar Und Zimmermann: Act I: Lebe Wohl, Mein Flandrisch Madchen
Der Waffenschmied: Aria, Act I: Man Wird Ja Einmal Nur Geboren
The Barber Of Seville: Duet, Act I: Strahlt Auf Mich Der Blitz Des Goldes (All'idea Di Quel Metallo)
Rigoletto: Duet, Act I: Ich Denk Ihn Lieber Mir Von Meinem Stande - Liebe Ist Seligkeit, Ist Licht Und Leben
Don Carlos: Duet, Act II: Er Ist's! Carlos! Mein Prinz! - Gott, Der Entflammte Der Liebe Heisse Glut
La Boheme: Duet, Act IV: Infame Feder! Welch Scheusslicher Pinsel! Ach, Geliebte, Nie Kehrst Du Mir Wieder!
TOSCA: Aria, Act III: Und Es Blitzten Die Sterne

Tracks:

Serse: Frondi Tenere, E Belle - Ombra Mai Fu
Serse: Piu Che Penso Alle Fiamme Del Core
Serse: Se Bramate D'Amar, Chi Vi Sdegna
Serse: Crude Furie Degl'orridi Abissi
Giulio Cesare: Svegliatevi Nel Core
Giulio Cesare: Son Nata A Lagrimar
Giulio Cesare: L'Angue Offeso Mai Riposa
Iphigenie en Tauride: Unis De La Plus Tendre Enfance
Iphigenie en Tauride: O Moment Trop Heureux! - Et Tu Pretends Encore Que Tu M'Aimes?
La Sonnambula: Prendi: L'Anel Ti Dono
Les Dragons de Villars: Ne Parle Pas, Rose, Je T'En Supplie
Das Nachtlager In Granada: Doche Nun Zu Dir - Trenne Nicht Das Band Der Liebe
Les pecheurs de perles: C'est Toi - Au Fond Du Temple Saint

Tracks:

Die schone Mullerin: Das Wandern
Die schone Mullerin: Wohin?
Die schone Mullerin: Halt!
Die schone Mullerin: Danksagung An Den Bach
Die schone Mullerin: Am Feierabend
Die schone Mullerin: Der Neugierige
Die schone Mullerin: Ungeduld
Die schone Mullerin: Morgengru
Die schone Mullerin: Des M Blumen
Die schone Mullerin: Trnregen
Die schone Mullerin: Mein!
Die schone Mullerin: Pause
Die schone Mullerin: Mit Dem Grautenbande
Die schone Mullerin: Der Jr
Die schone Mullerin: Eifersucht Und Stolz
Die schone Mullerin: Die Liebe Farbe
Die schone Mullerin: Die BFarbe
Die schone Mullerin: Trockne Blumen
Die schone Mullerin: Der MUnd Der Bach
Die schone Mullerin: Des Baches Wiegenlied
Die schone Mullerin: Die Forelle D 550
Die schone Mullerin: Frsglaube D 686
Die schone Mullerin: Heidenrin D 257

Tracks:

Dighterliebe: Im Wundersch Monat Mai
Dighterliebe: Aus Meinen Trn Sprien
Dighterliebe: Die Rose, Die Lilie, Die Taube, Die Sonne
Dighterliebe: Wenn Ich In Deine Augen Seh'
Dighterliebe: Ich Will Meine Seele Tauchen
Dighterliebe: Im Rhein, Im Heiligen Strome
Dighterliebe: Ich Grolle Nicht
Dighterliebe: Und Ws Die Blumen
Dighterliebe: Das Ist Ein Fl Und Geigen
Dighterliebe: HIch Das Liedchen Klingen
Dighterliebe: Ein Jg Liebt Ein Mhen
Dighterliebe: Am Leuchtenden Sommermorgen
Dighterliebe: Ich Hab' Im Traum Geweinet
Dighterliebe: Allntlich Im Traume Seh' Ich Dich
Dighterliebe: Aus Alten Mhen Winkt es
Dighterliebe: Die Alten, B Lieder
4 Lieder: Zliche Liebe
4 Lieder: Adelaide
4 Lieder: Resignation
4 Lieder: Der Ku
9 Lieder: An Silvia
9 Lieder: Lied Eines Schiffers An Die Dioskuren
9 Lieder: Liebhaber In Allen Gestalten
9 Lieder: Der Einsame
9 Lieder: Im Abendrot
9 Lieder: Stchen
9 Lieder: An Die Laute
9 Lieder: Der Musensohn
9 Lieder: An Die Musik

Tracks:

Spanish Fantasy: Granada
O Sole Mio
Morning Song: Mattinata
Neapolitanishes: Funiculi - Funicula
Song And Slow Waltz: Vergiss Mein Nicht
Ob BLond, Ob Braun, Ich Liebe Alle Frau'n
Heute Nacht Oder Nie
Ein Lied Geht Um Die Welt
Wien, Wien, Nur Du Allein
Ich Kenn' Ein Kleines Wegerl Im Helenental
Draussen In Sievering
Ich Weiss Auf Der Wieden Ein Kleines Hotel
Ich Muss Wieder Einmal In Grinzing Sein
Im Prater Bluh'n wieder Die Baume
Ich Hab' Die Schonen Maderln Net Erfunden
Wien Wird Bei Nacht Erst Schon

Customer Reviews:

One of the greatest tenors ever.......2005-03-15

When Fritz Wunderlich died (tragically, in an accident) at the
age of 36, some of Opera's greatest experts and critics were
devastated and called his death a "heavy blow to music."

How true. Wunderlich never had the chance to get international
exposure at the level modern tenors do. He lived in the "wrong era", before media hype, and he died youg - much too young.

Yet even today, Wunderlich experiences a remarkable renaissance.
The world has (re-)discovered this gorgeous voice. Monaco and
Corelli had more power (though not much more), Bjoerling's and
Pavarotti's and Joseph Schmidt's timbres were more ringing (though not much more), Di Stefano and Carreras sang more sweetly (though not much more), and Bergonzi's and Tucker's belcanti were fabulous.

But hardly any of those had all thoe qualities combined like Fritz Wunderlich. Listen to his breathtaking musicality when he sang Mozart, his effortless height, his clear diction (probably unparalleled by any opera singer ever), his phrasing, his passion when he sang Verdi or Puccini.

And his height ... has there ever been a tenor who could reach,
seemingly without effort, the high D (no printing mistake...)
the way he did in "Granada" ?

And not just that he hit the high notes. It's how he hit them:
with expression, intelligence and, wherever required (mainly in
song and operetta), with wit and charm.

His Lieder are exemplary, his Italian songs probably more impressive than most Italian tenors'.

If one imagines that Wunderlich was just at the beginning of his career, one shudders at how great he would have become. I think he would have been mentioned in one breath with Caruso and Gigli.

What a huge loss to music, indeed.

One Of The Finest Male Singers We Will Ever Know.......2000-10-29

I don't claim to know a great deal about opera and my knowledge of great classical music singers -- German or otherwise -- is limited to the usual list of suspects and divas. But as far as I'm concerned, Fritz Wunderlich possessed one of the greatest God-given voices you will ever hear in ANY type of Western music. If you ever wondered why so many music critics still lament this man's tragic death before he could become a household name, I would advise you to purchase this collection. Good Lord, what a voice! Believe me, once you hear ol' Fritz belt out a few tunes, you won't be thinking of any other male singer in any other type of music (whether it's Pavrotti, Domingo, Melchior, Vickers, Fischer-Dieskau, Sinatra, Nat "King" Cole, Billy Eckstine, Elvis, George Jones, Sam Cooke or even Bob Dylan) for some time. Herr Wunderlich was simply in a class by himself, and you are also strongly urged to get his EMI recording with Christa Ludwig and Otto Klemperer of Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde. Be warned, though, on that one. Not only will he shatter your heart with his singing of Mahler's sad lyrics, but he's liable to cause you lockjaw with his unique, incomparable phrasing.

Average customer rating:

Très belle Iphigénie

Gluck: Iphigénie en Tauride

Manufacturer: Gala
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

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

Gluck: Iphigénie en Tauride
Italian Opera Arias
Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs
R. Strauss - Salome
La Nilsson: My Life in Opera

ASIN: B0001LYGLM
Release Date: 2004-03-30

Customer Reviews:

Très belle Iphigénie.......2006-12-14

On ne se trompe jamais quand on achète un disque avec Régine Crespin et sa présence nous fait oublier les limites de cet enregistrement en public fait à Buenos Aires en 1964. Guy Chauvet chante Pylade et comme d'habitude les avis sont partagés (ils chanteront Didon et Énée l'année suivante pour le disque). Il y a bizarrement un quart d'heure de bonus qui n'ont rien à voir avec Gluck ; ce sont des extraits d'opéras avec Crespin (Mozart, Verdi et Henri Tomasi, ce dernier étant celui qui lui convient le mieux). Un détail irritant néanmoins : il n'y a pas de livret.

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